Measurement, Conversion, and Line Plots
Aligned to 4.MD.A.1 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

What this lesson teaches
Units in the same system are related, so you can convert from a larger unit to a smaller one by multiplying. For example, since 1 foot is 12 inches, 3 feet is 3 times 12. You can also display fractional measurements on a line plot.
Worked examples
Example 1
Convert 4 feet to inches. There are 12 inches in a foot, so 4 times 12 equals 48 inches.
Example 2
Convert 3 kilograms to grams. There are 1,000 grams in a kilogram, so 3 × 1,000 = 3,000 grams.
Example 3
Going from a big unit to a small one always multiplies, so the number grows: 2 hours is 120 minutes, not 2 ÷ 60.
Practice questions
- How many inches are in 5 feet?
- How many minutes are in 3 hours?
- Convert 2 hours to seconds.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Medición, Conversión y Diagramas de Puntos
Las unidades del mismo sistema están relacionadas entre sí, por lo que puedes convertir de una unidad mayor a una menor multiplicando. Por ejemplo, como 1 pie equivale a 12 pulgadas, 3 pies equivalen a 3 veces 12. También puedes mostrar medidas con fracciones en un diagrama de puntos.
Ejemplo 1: Convierte 4 pies a pulgadas. Hay 12 pulgadas en un pie, entonces 4 por 12 es igual a 48 pulgadas.
Ejemplo 2: Convierte 3 kilogramos a gramos. Hay 1,000 gramos en un kilogramo, así que 3 × 1,000 = 3,000 gramos.
Ejemplo 3: Pasar de una unidad grande a una pequeña siempre multiplica, por eso el número crece: 2 horas son 120 minutos, no 2 ÷ 60.
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