Describe Measurable Attributes — CCSS.K.MD.1: Describe...

SECTION 1

Why Do We Measure Things?

People have been measuring things for a very, very long time! Long ago, people needed to know how big things were. They needed to know how heavy a rock was. They needed to know how long a piece of wood was. Measuring helps us understand the world around us.

Long Ago

Hands and Feet

People used their hands and feet to measure things. They would say, "This rock is 3 hands wide!"

Old Times

Rulers and Scales

People made tools like rulers to measure length and scales to measure weight.

Today

Many Measuring Tools

Now we have many tools to measure! We use rulers, scales, thermometers, and more.

Today, we will learn to describe things we can measure about objects. What can we say about a pencil? It is long! It is light! Those are measurable attributes.

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What Are Measurable Attributes?

A measurable attribute is something about an object that you can measure or describe with a number. Think about a book on your desk. You can talk about how long it is. You can talk about how heavy it is. You can talk about how tall it is. Each of those things is a measurable attribute!

Length

How long or short something is. A crayon is short. A jump rope is long!

Weight

How heavy or light something is. A feather is light. A big rock is heavy!

Height

How tall or short something is. A flower is short. A tree is tall!

Width

How wide or narrow something is. A ribbon is narrow. A table is wide!

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of measurable attributes like words you use to describe a friend. You might say your friend is tall, has brown hair, and runs fast. For objects, you can say things like "it is long," "it is heavy," or "it is tall." One object can have many measurable attributes at the same time, just like your friend has many things that describe them!

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See the Attributes!

Let's look at a picture that shows different measurable attributes of a single object — a watermelon! One object can have many things we can measure.

This diagram shows that a single watermelon has many measurable attributes: length (how long), height (how tall), weight (how heavy), and color (what color). One object can be described in many ways!

Look at the watermelon in the picture. The yellow dashed line shows its length. The purple dashed line shows its height. We can also talk about its weight and its color. That's four attributes for just one object!

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How Do We Describe Measurable Attributes?

When we describe measurable attributes, we use special words. We don't need numbers yet! We just use words that tell about the object. Here are some describing words we use for each attribute.

Words for Length

When we talk about length, we can say something is long or short. A school bus is long. A marker is short.

Words for Weight

When we talk about weight, we can say something is heavy or light. A bowling ball is heavy. A cotton ball is light.

Words for Height

When we talk about height, we can say something is tall or short. A giraffe is tall. A mouse is short.

💡 Remember!

You can describe many attributes of one object. A lunchbox is short, wide, light, and colorful. That's four attributes for one thing!

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Different Types of Measurable Attributes

Let's look at all the different measurable attributes you might use. Some attributes are about size. Some are about how much something weighs. Some are about how much space something fills up!

This diagram compares three objects: a pencil, a book, and a ball. Each one has many measurable attributes listed below it. Notice how each object has different descriptions!

Common measurable attributes and the words we use

Attribute	What It Means	Example Words
Length	How long or short something is from one end to the other	Long, short
Weight	How heavy or light something is when you pick it up	Heavy, light
Height	How tall or short something is from bottom to top	Tall, short
Width	How wide or narrow something is from side to side	Wide, narrow
Capacity	How much something can hold inside	Holds a lot, holds a little

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Let's Describe an Object Together!

Let's practice describing the measurable attributes of a water bottle. We will go step by step!

Describing a Water Bottle

Step 1 — Look at the ObjectPick up the water bottle. Hold it in your hands. Look at it carefully. What do you notice?

Step 2 — Describe Its LengthLook at the water bottle from top to bottom. Is it long or short? A water bottle is about as long as your forearm.

The water bottle is tall.

Step 3 — Describe Its WeightHold the water bottle in one hand. Does it feel heavy or light? When it is full of water, it feels heavier than when it is empty.

A full water bottle is a little heavy. An empty one is light.

Step 4 — Describe Its WidthLook at how wide the water bottle is. Can you wrap your hand around it? A water bottle is narrow enough to hold in one hand.

The water bottle is narrow.

Step 5 — Name All the AttributesNow put it all together! We described three measurable attributes of the same water bottle.

The water bottle is tall, a little heavy (when full), and narrow. That's three attributes for one object!

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Measurable vs. Not Measurable

Some things about an object are measurable and some are not. Let's learn the difference! A measurable attribute is something we can describe with size words or numbers. Things like "pretty" or "fun" are not measurable.

Measurable attributes vs. opinions

Measurable ✅	Not Measurable ❌
"The box is heavy."	"The box is fun."
"The string is long."	"The string is boring."
"The tower is tall."	"The tower is cool."
"The cup holds a lot."	"The cup is my favorite."

✦ KEY TAKEAWAY

Think about it this way: if you can use a tool like a ruler or a scale to check it, or if you can compare two objects to see which one has more, it is measurable. If it is just how you feel about something, it is not measurable. "Heavy" is measurable. "Yucky" is not!

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From Describing to Comparing and Measuring

Right now we are learning to describe measurable attributes. Soon you will learn to compare objects. That means looking at two things and saying which one is longer, heavier, or taller. After that, you will learn to use tools like rulers and scales to measure with numbers!

Your measurement learning path

Skill	What You Do	Example
Describe (Now!)	Tell about one object	"The pencil is long."
Compare (Next!)	Look at two objects and say which has more	"The crayon is shorter than the pencil."
Measure (Later!)	Use a tool and a number	"The pencil is 7 inches long."

Describing is the first and most important step. When you practice saying things like "this is heavy" or "this is tall," you are building the skills you will need to compare and measure later. Great job learning this step!

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Practice Problems

PROBLEM 1 — CONCEPTUAL

What is a measurable attribute? Can you name two measurable attributes?

PROBLEM 2 — BASIC

Look at a shoe. Name one measurable attribute of the shoe and describe it.

PROBLEM 3 — INTERMEDIATE

Think about a backpack. Name three different measurable attributes of the backpack.

PROBLEM 4 — APPLIED

Your friend says, "My dog is cute and heavy." Which part describes a measurable attribute and which part does not? Explain why.

PROBLEM 5 — CRITICAL THINKING

Think about a table in your classroom. Can you name four different measurable attributes of the table? For each one, use a describing word.

SUMMARY

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, you learned that a measurable attribute is something about an object that you can describe with size words or check with a tool. Important measurable attributes include length (long or short), weight (heavy or light), height (tall or short), and width (wide or narrow).

You also learned that one single object can have many measurable attributes at the same time. A water bottle is tall, narrow, and light. A book is wide, heavy, and tall. Describing these attributes is the first step to comparing and measuring objects with numbers. Keep practicing!