Customary units of length: word problems

Learning Objectives Identify inches and feet as units of length. Solve addition word problems about length. Solve subtraction word problems about length. Compare the lengths of two objects in a word problem. Choose the correct operation (+ or -) for a length story. Write the correct unit (inches or feet) in their answer. Which is longer, your crayon or your shoe? 🖍️👟 Let's learn how to find out using math stories! Today, we will be detectives and solve fun word problems about length. We will use inches and feet to measure and compare our favorite toys and objects. Real-World Applications Seeing how tall your block tower is. Finding out if your toy car will fit on a bridge. Measuring a long jump in the playground. Cutting a piece of string for an art project....

TermDefinitionExample LengthLength tells us how long or short something is.A new pencil has a long length. ✏️ Inch (in)An inch is a small unit we use to measure length.A small paperclip is about 1 inch long. 📎 Foot (ft)A foot is a bigger unit. It is 12 inches long!A school ruler is exactly 1 foot long. 📏 Word ProblemA word problem is a math story that we need to solve.A frog jumps 5 inches. Then it jumps 2 more. How far did it jump? 🐸 LongerLonger means it has a bigger length.A banana is longer than a cherry. 🍌 > 🍒 ShorterShorter means it has a smaller length.A ladybug is shorter than a caterpillar. 🐞 < 🐛

Adding Lengths (Total) Length 1 + Length 2 = Total Length Use this when you put two things together to find the total length. Subtracting Lengths (What's Left) Total Length - Part Taken Away = Length Left Use this when a piece of something is removed or taken away. Finding the Difference Longer Length - Shorter Length = Difference Use this to find out 'how much longer' or 'how much shorter' one thing is.