English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Abbreviate customary units of measurement
Abbreviate customary units of measurement
What you'll learn
- Identify the correct abbreviation for at least 8 out of 10 customary units of measurement (inch, foot, yard, mile, ounce, pound, cup, pint, quart, gallon) from a list.
- Apply the correct abbreviation when writing 5 measurement phrases (e.g., 6 inches, 2 pounds) with 100% accuracy.
- Explain why using abbreviations for customary units of measurement is helpful in writing, providing at least two reasons.
- Solve word problems by correctly abbreviating customary units of measurement (inches, feet, yards, ounces, pounds, cups) within the problem's solution, achieving 75% accuracy across 4 problems.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the author's purpose for using abbreviations in informational texts.
Define what an abbreviation is for a customary unit of measurement.
Correctly match common customary units (like inch, foot, gallon) to their abbreviations (in., ft., gal.).
Use a period correctly when writing most customary unit abbreviations.
Explain why an author would choose to write '5 ft.' instead of 'five feet' in a text.
Write a short, informative sentence using a correct customary unit abbreviation.
Have you ever seen a recipe that says '2 c. flour' or a road sign that says '5 mi. to the park'? 🤔 Let's find out why authors write like that!
Today, we will learn about special short words called abbreviations. We will dis...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Author's PurposeThe reason an author writes something. A main purpose is to inform, or teach the reader facts and information.The author's purpose in a cookbook is to inform you how to make food.
AbbreviationA short way to write a longer word. Authors use them to save space and make writing easier to read.The abbreviation for the word 'Mister' is 'Mr.'
Customary UnitsThe common way we measure things in the United States, like how long, how heavy, or how much liquid something holds.Inches, pounds, and cups are all customary units.
Unit of LengthA way to measure how long something is or the distance between two points.An inch (in.) and a foot (ft.) are units of length.
Unit of WeightA way to measure how heavy an object is.An ounce (oz.) an...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Period Rule
Most abbreviations for customary units end with a period.
When you shorten a unit like 'inch' to 'in.', you must put a period at the end. This little dot tells the reader that it's a shortened word.
The No 's' for Plural Rule
Abbreviations stay the same whether there is one or more than one.
You write '1 ft.' for one foot and '5 ft.' for five feet. You never add an 's' to the end of the abbreviation to make it plural.
The Space Rule
Always leave a space between the number and the abbreviation.
When writing a measurement, the number comes first, then a space, then the abbreviation. For example, you should write '10 mi.', not '10mi.'
4 more steps in this tutorial
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Challenging
An author is writing a science book for first-graders. The author decides NOT to use abbreviations like 'gal.' or 'yd.' and instead writes out 'gallon' and 'yard'. What is the most likely reason, related to the author's purpose, for this choice?
A.The author does not know the correct abbreviations.
B.To ensure the young audience, who may not know abbreviations, understands the information clearly.
C.To make the book longer so it costs more money.
D.Because abbreviations are only used for cooking, not science.
Challenging
In a set of instructions, an author writes: 'Step 1: Add 2 c. of flour. Step 2: Pour in one pint of milk. Step 3: Mix in 4 oz. of butter.' What is the problem with how the author used abbreviations to achieve their purpose of being clear and consistent?
A.The author used some abbreviations but wrote out the full word for 'pint'.
B.The abbreviation for 'ounce' is wrong.
C.The author should have used metric units instead.
D.There are no problems; the instructions are perfectly clear.
Challenging
A cereal box says 'Net Wt. 18 oz.' in large letters. Another box for the same price says 'Net Wt. 1.125 lb.' The author of the first box's text chose 'oz.' to persuade customers. Why is '18 oz.' a better persuasive choice than '1.125 lb.'?
A.The abbreviation 'oz.' is more colorful than 'lb.'
B.Ounces are healthier than pounds.
C.The number 1.125 is too difficult for people to read.
D.The number 18 is a bigger, whole number, which seems like more to a customer than a decimal number like 1.125.
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What grade level is "Abbreviate customary units of measurement"?
Abbreviate customary units of measurement is a Grade 3 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Abbreviate customary units of measurement?
You'll be able to: Identify the correct abbreviation for at least 8 out of 10 customary units of measurement (inch, foot, yard, mile, ounce, pound, cup, pint, quart, gallon) from a list; Apply the correct abbreviation when writing 5 measurement….
Is "Abbreviate customary units of measurement" free to practice?
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How many practice questions are included with Abbreviate customary units of measurement?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.