How we measure
Introduction
Lisa and Magda are pen pals. Lisa lives in the
United States, and Megda lives in Canada. A lot
of things are the same in the United States and
Canada. But many things are different. One
difference is the system people use to measure
things. Canada uses the metric system to measure
things. The United States uses the English system.
How tall are you?
Lisa measures her height in feet and inches. There
are 12 inches in one foot. Lisa is 4 feet, 5 inches
tall. Magda measures how tall she is in meters.
There are 3.28 feet in one meter. Magda is 1.23
meters tall (or 123 centimeters tall).
How much do you weigh?
Lisa measures how much she weights in pounds and
ounces. There are 16 ounces in one pound. Lisa
weights 75 pounds, 2 ounces. Magda measures how
much she weights in kilograms. There are 2.2 pounds
in one kilogram. Magda weighs 26 kilograms.
What is the temperature?
Lisa measures the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
When it is 28 degrees Fahrenheit outside, Lisa wears
her heavy coat and goes ice-skating. It's winter!
Magda measures the temperature in degrees Celsius.
When it is 28 degrees Celsius outside, Magda wears
her bathing suit and goes to the beach. It's summer!
Making Cookies
When Lisa makes cookies, she measures the flour,
butter, and sugar in cups. She measures the baking
soda, salt, and vanilla in teaspoons. Magda measures
the flour, butter, and sugar in grams. She measures
the baking soda, salt, and vanilla in milliliters.
How far is it to school?
Lisa lives 2 miles from her school. Magda lives 6
kilometers from her school. There are 0.62 miles in
one kilometer. Who lives closer to her school, Lisa
or Magda?