Converting Units Interactive Notebook Page

This year, I decided to brand converting units into a review science inwards Algebra 1. I'm non certain if I'll do this again. My master copy finish was to acquire students thinking virtually units. But, I experience similar this lesson may convey but added to the confusion of my students.

Here's the notes nosotros did on Day 1 of this skill:

I bolded the conversion factors that allow us switch betwixt the metric organisation in addition to the regal system. Then, I also gave students a nautical chart to role to switch betwixt prefixes inside the metric system.

They were super duper confused yesteryear this chart. I had them draw a giant 1 on the left paw side of the chart. We read it equally "1 kilo(meter) equals one k meters." "1 centimeter equals 0.01 meters." It seemed clear equally twenty-four hours to me, but my students withal struggled. Note to self: notice a improve agency to explicate this side yesteryear side year!

I also ran into students thinking that each conversion subdivision had to live applied inwards order. For example, they idea if nosotros had feet that nosotros *had* to convert to yards.

Inside, nosotros did five exercise problems using the fighting postal service method that I learned inwards high schoolhouse chemistry. Set upwardly your conversion factors in addition to then the units cancel out. Multiply all the numerators. Divide yesteryear all the denominators. Presto. You convey an answer.

Kids asked why this worked. I showed them that multiplying yesteryear 365 days in addition to dividing yesteryear 1 yr is the same equally multiplying yesteryear 1. All nosotros were doing is changing our units.

If I were going to do this again, I would pass a twenty-four hours on but unproblematic conversions in addition to pass a split twenty-four hours on converting things similar m/s to mph. We saved that work until last, but it was but also much inwards ane twenty-four hours for my kiddos.

The side yesteryear side twenty-four hours inwards class, nosotros did around Commonwealth of Australia inspired exercise problems.

14,896 km - The distance I traveled to Commonwealth of Australia this summer. One pupil asked if I measured the distance inwards my car...

When Shaun was inwards America final winter, he commented virtually how high around of our speed limits were. I decided to brand this into a work equally well.

Next, nosotros talked virtually the cost of materials inwards Australia. We had to convert from liters to gallons AND Australian dollars to the US dollars. Some of my kids were shocked that Commonwealth of Australia had their ain shape of currency. I promised to demo them around Australian coin IF they got busy on this problem.

This led to kids proclaiming how expensive things were inwards Commonwealth of Australia which led to a give-and-take of how much coin Australians make.

Comparing the American minimum wage to the Australian minimum wage was a existent eye-opener for my students.

It was fun to part a chip of my summertime experiences alongside my students in addition to demo them a real-world application of what nosotros were learning.

Download file here.