Make More Mistakes (Measurement Edition)

Measurement is a big focus of Waldorf Third Grade Math, and I've been thinking a lot about it. I try to put plenty of opportunities to practice measurement in our school year! As part of Algae Academy, the children had to measure their algae culture and media in milliliters, and read their Secchi stick in millimeters. We've been practicing reading a thermometer each day for our Weather Tree. This year in Science Club we made Secret Book Boxes. Last year in Science Club we built and raced Cardboard Boats.

This spring, we will be building a PVC Pipe Loom and planting a garden of flax, cotton, and indigo for part II of the Fibers & Clothing block, and designing and building a Tree Squirrel Playground to learn Simple Machines.

However, something is missing from our measurement projects, and that's Mistakes. To be more specific, the Consequences of Mistakes.

To learn something, you have to practice it a lot. You have to get it wrong, see why getting it wrong matters, troubleshoot and figure out what went wrong, and learn how to not repeat that error again. Because all of these measurement activities are real-life and significant (which I chose deliberately, so that the skills would have an authentic context), mistakes would matter. Measurement mistakes that would have caused the project to fail (like with the book boxes or the cardboard boats) were fixed by adults before we cut the pieces.

The problem with adults being helpful in this way is that it short-circuits the learning.

If I want my son to learn to tie his shoes, I don't buy him Crocs. I buy him shoes with laces. And just having shoes with laces is NOT enough! If I tie his shoes for him every day because it's faster, he will not learn how.

So now I'm brainstorming Mini Measurement projects that aren't expensive and don't really matter. By which I mean, I won't be tempted to come along and remeasure and fix it and make it right. They can mis-measure and goof it, and then get more supplies from me and make another one until they get it measured correctly.

I have one idea right off the bat, which is a really cool activity where you make a tiny gift box from a greeting card.

Volume and Perimeter Greeting Card Box Activity - FREE on TpT

More ideas:

Cut a 10 inch length of ribbon to tie your bouquet for Daffodil Day!

If anyone has additional ideas for projects like this, please share!

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