Metric Conversions Card Game
Students will play a card game to use mental math strategies to convert within the metric system.
Essential Question
How do we convert using the metric system?
Grade(s):
- 5
- 6
- 7
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
materials: You'll need a deck of cards if running this as a classroom station activity for one small group of students. If playing multiple groups at once, you'll need one deck of cards per group of 2-4 students.
Lesson Progression
1. Group students into small groups of 2-4. Begin with a complete deck of shuffled cards. Values for each card are as follows: Ace = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, 8 = 8, 9 = 9, 10 = 10, Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13.
2. The dealer places the cards face down and pulls a card from the top to be face up so all in the group can see.
3. The first person to call out the conversion from cm to mm correctly wins the card. For example, if a king is shown, the first students to say "13 centimeters is equal to 130 millimeters" gets the keep the card. Have students record their conversions with the tracking sheet linked in the resources tab.
4. If no one gets the conversion correct, the card is buried and discarded (no one keeps it).
5. Winner of the card gets to draw the next card.
6. The game continues until time is called or the deck is completed. The player with the most cards wins.
Teacher Notes
differentiation: Provide students with a cheat sheet to assist them while making mental conversions.
extension: endless variations - Have students convert mm to cm, mL to l, or m to cm. Have students further research real-world applications where converting using the metric system is necessary.
Standards
- Include problems with measures of mass, weight, length, and liquid. Convert from metric to customary and customary to metric systems.
- 6.PAFR Patterns, Algebra, and Functional Reasoning
- 5.MGSR Measurement, Geometry, and Spatial Reasoning
Assessments
Use the performance task linked in the resources tab to assess student learning outcomes.