Instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable
all students to--
- understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and
processes of measurement;
- apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine
measurements.
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The study of measurement is crucial in the
pre-K–12 mathematics curriculum because of its practicality and pervasiveness in
so many aspects of everyday life. The study of measurement also provides an
opportunity for learning about other areas of mathematics, such as number
operations, geometric ideas, statistical concepts, and notions of function.
Measurement is the assignment of a numerical
value to an attribute of an object. In the earliest grades, students can compare
and order objects using language such as longer and shorter. As they progress
through the grades, students' collection of measurable attributes, their
understanding of the relationships among attributes, and their understanding of
precision in measurement should expand. By high school, for example, students
should recognize the need to report an appropriate number of significant digits
when computing with measurements.