Grade 2 Measurement and US Money Activities
Grade 2 Measurement and US Money Activities
Ask a second grader to measure a pencil and you will see the ruler lined up at 1, or the pencil placed in the middle of the scale, or two paper clips with a gap between them. Those are not careless mistakes. They show that the child has not yet connected the ruler to the idea behind it: a length is a count of equal units laid end to end. The Grade 2 unit on this page takes four lessons to build that idea before money starts. The money lessons then build counting coins and bills toward a classroom store where every skill is used at once.
See the Grade 2 unit →Resources that fit
The Grade 2 unit and related math and reading
Measurement and US Money is the core. The others sit before and after it in the math sequence, plus a Grade 2 reading pack and a K–2 social studies unit that share its practical focus.
Measurement and US Money | Length, Coins, Bills & Making Change | Grade 2
Equal units, start at zero, inches and centimeters, coins, bills and a classroom store.
Number Sense to 20 | 15 Hands-On Math Centers | Kindergarten
Kindergarten number sense to 20, where counting and ten-frames begin.
Multiplication Fact Fluency | Strategies, Fact Families & Array Labs | Grade 3
Grade 3 multiplication facts through equal groups and arrays.
Nonfiction Text Features | Original Science Passages & Diagram Workshop | Grade 2
Grade 2 nonfiction passages, including A fair test and A map is a model.
My Community: Helpers, Maps and Rules | Community Helpers, Map Skills & Rules | Grades K–2
K–2 community unit with maps, symbols, routes and community helpers.
Lesson plan
The ten lessons
| Lesson | Title | What students do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Equal units | Measure with identical objects laid end to end, no gaps or overlaps |
| 2 | Start at zero | Use a ruler and see why the zero mark matters |
| 3 | Inches and centimeters | Measure the same object in both units and explain the two numbers |
| 4 | Estimate and compare | Estimate, measure and compare lengths |
| 5–6 | Coin values; Count mixed coins | Name coin values, count mixed sets |
| 7–8 | Dollars and cents; Bills and totals | Write amounts, count bills, find totals |
| 9 | Price and change | Work out change from a price |
| 10 | Classroom store | Buy, pay and make change with classroom items as goods |
Length sits closest to Common Core 2.MD.A.1 to 2.MD.A.4 and money to 2.MD.C.8. No alignment is claimed. Common Core Math Worksheets (Grades 1–4) shows where this unit fits in the wider Grades 1–4 math sequence.
Measurement
Why equal units come before the ruler
A ruler is a row of equal units that someone has already laid out and numbered. If students have never laid out units themselves, the numbers on the ruler are just labels, and lining up at 1 looks as sensible as lining up at 0. Lesson 1 has them measure with identical objects, end to end, with no gaps. Only then, in Lesson 2, do they use a ruler and learn to start at zero. It is a step many units skip.
Lesson 3 asks students to measure the same object in inches and in centimeters and explain why the same length gives two different numbers. The answer, that a centimeter is a smaller unit so you need more of them, is the main idea of measurement in one sentence. Lesson 4 adds estimating, which gives students a reason to check whether a measurement makes sense. Explaining runs through every lesson: students back their answers with numbers and words.
Money
Coins, bills and making change
The money lessons begin with coin values, then mixed sets of coins, which is where many second graders slow down. Students then write amounts in dollars and cents, count bills and find totals. Lesson 9 is about price and change. In Lesson 10 the classroom store pulls it all together with simple classroom items as goods. Because the two topics are in separate lessons, you can teach Lessons 5 to 10 on their own if length is already covered. All money is US currency; international schools and classes outside the US can treat it as a unit on US money, and our CLIL math page discusses that choice.
In practice
Setting up the unit
- Gather materialsRulers marked in inches and centimeters, small objects to measure, items to use as equal units, and real or play coins and bills.
- Teach the routineAn opening page sets out the learning routine used in every lesson.
- Listen for the explanationEach lesson has its own page of answers and teaching decisions in the guide, and an observation and responsive support section helps when a student is stuck.
- Run the storePrice a few classroom items and let students take turns as shopper and cashier.
- Close with the learning recordStudents see what they have done across all ten lessons.
Questions teachers ask
Frequently asked questions
What materials do I need?
Rulers marked in inches and centimeters, small objects to measure and items to use as equal units. For money, real or play coins and bills. The store uses simple classroom items.
Can I use only the money part?
Yes. The two topics are in separate lessons, so you can teach Lessons 5 to 10 on their own.
Why measure in both inches and centimeters?
Measuring the same object in two units shows students that the number depends on the size of the unit. Lesson 3 asks them to explain why the numbers differ.
Does it work for Grade 3 review?
Yes. The product notes list Grade 3 review of money and length as a use, along with math centers and small groups.
Is there an answer key?
Yes. The teacher guide has answers and teaching decisions for each of the ten lessons.
Is the money US currency?
Yes, US dollars and cents throughout.
Measure it twice, count it out, make change
Ten Grade 2 lessons on length and US money, ending in a classroom store.
See Measurement and US Money →