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Metric Week 2024: Measure Up with Metric Education

Byline: Elizabeth Benham

2024 Metric Week icon
Credit: NIST

National Metric Week (October 6 to 12, 2024) is an opportunity to draw attention to the educational and economic benefits of metric system measurements, formally known as the International System of Units (SI). The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) Metric Program and the U.S. Metric Association (USMA) collaborate to promote Metric Week celebrations in classrooms and communities around the country. U.S. K-12 public, private, and homeschool educators, as well as informal education outreach ambassadors, are invited to use NIST SI educational classroom resources.

 

The International System of Units (SI):

  • underpins all measurements.
  • was legalized by the United States Congress in 1866 and declared the preferred system of weights and measures for Trade and Commerce.
  • contributes to advances in global commerce, science, and technology.
  • is a linchpin for the development of a world-class U.S. workforce of the future. 
  • Activities. Games are a fun and easy way to motivate students to learn, build self-confidence, and transfer measurement skills to other situations.
    • The SI Units Card Deck (SP 1297) includes multiple games designed to develop familiarity with the elements and structure of the SI. For example, the Find the Match: Prefixes Game provides learners with an opportunity to successfully apply SI prefixes.
    • Whether you are up for a little friendly competition or preparing for LifeSmarts, the Science Olympiad, state and national science fairs, or other scholastic competitions, the NIST Metric Trivia Quiz is a fun way to test your knowledge.
    • Put the "A" in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) with the League of SI Superhero Coloring Pages. The Measurement League are superheroes dedicated to the fight against uncertainty, imprecision, and inaccuracy and to improving the quality of our lives and the things we build.

      Image of 2024 Kansas Metric Week Proclamation
      2024 Kansas Metric Week Proclamation.
      Credit: US Metric Association
  • Videos.
    • Use an interdisciplinary approach to connect history and STEM. Watch the Pirates Plunder the Kilogram (NISTory) to learn how Thomas Jefferson hired Joseph Dombey to deliver measurement standards to the United States.
    • Follow step-by-step instructions while you are baking Metric Chocolate Chip CookiesBrownies, or Banana Bread. These NIST Metric Kitchen resources were developed to build experience using a kitchen scale to measure ingredients in grams.
  • Classroom Posters. Download and print a colorful poster for your classroom or office, such as the SI Base Units Relationships Poster (SP 1247), SI Measurement System Chart, and NISTified Movie Poster series.
  • SI Teacher Kit. To request your learning packet, please contact the OWM Metric Program at TheSI [at] nist.gov (TheSI[at]nist[dot]gov) (include your name, phone number, and U.S. shipping address). Publication requests are also accepted using your OWM Contacts System portal account.
  • State Proclamation. A 2024 Metric Week Governor Proclamation (PDF) may be available for your state to commemorate Metric Week in the classroom and raise awareness of metric system benefits. The 2024 proclamations are posted online as they are received. Use your cursor to select a state on the interactive map, then download your proclamation (PDF).

STEM-themed holidays are ideal opportunities to highlight real-world SI measurement applications and provide learners with additional opportunities to understand the impact measurements have on society. In addition to National Metric Week, build connections with measurements through the year on Nano Technology Day (9 October), Mole Day (23 October), Weights and Measures Week (1 to 7 March), and World Metrology Day (20 May). 

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Released October 2, 2024