Metric Ruler (SP 376)

Credit: NIST

Metric Ruler (SP 376) 

Edition: 2024

Summary

NIST SP 376, Metric Ruler is an educational tool designed to teach the International System of Units (SI) length measurements. The design includes approximate scales of 300 mm and 30 cm. One edge is graduated in centimeters by alternating solid markings in the style of a forensic photo scale. One edge is divided into 1 dm, 10 cm, and 100 mm sections.

Did you know that you can obtain a free set of metric education resources for use in your classroom? Contact the NIST Metric Program at TheSI [at] nist.gov (TheSI[at]nist[dot]gov) and include your name, school, subject, grade level, phone number, and U.S. mailing address. Publication requests may also be made using the OWM Contacts System. The NIST SI Teacher Kit contains a curated collection of instructional measurement resources. A metric ruler is a valuable tool for science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) classrooms.

Learning Objectives 

• Apply three SI units of length: millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), and decimeters (dm). Use the metric ruler to measure small objects.
• Accurately read and interpret SI length scales.
• Develop skills in measuring objects and estimating lengths using the metric system.

Materials

• NIST SP 376, Metric Ruler.

Safety

• Handle the metric ruler with care to prevent damage and wear.
• Supervise young learners during measurement activities to prevent misuse of measuring tools.

Teaching Tips

• Use the Top 10 Tips for Teaching the Metric System. 
  • Make measurements with metric tools. Measurement concepts are meaningfully established through hands-on activities. Application, not memorization, is the key to success! The SI is easy to learn when taught using metric tools. 
  • Practice building proficiency and confidence in making measurements. Measurement involves doing.
  • Develop reference points. How long? How big? How small? It’s important for students to gradually develop an intuitive feeling for the magnitude of commonly used metric units, including the millimeter (mm) and centimeter (cm). 
  • Use an interdisciplinary approach. Bring the SI into classrooms at every opportunity, including during instruction in language arts, fine arts, social sciences, industrial arts, vocational technologies, consumer studies, and physical fitness. For example, origami combines art, geometry, and engineering while applying metric length, area, and volume measurements. 
• Share a brief introduction to the International System of Units (SI) base unit of length, which is the meter (m). Discuss how to use the SI prefixes milli, centi, and deci. 
• Demonstrate how to use the metric ruler. Emphasize how to read the three scales in millimeters (mm), centimeters (cm), and decimeters (dm).
• Engage students in practical exercises, such as measuring objects in the classroom with the metric ruler. Estimate the length of objects, then verify the length with the metric ruler.
• Use the forensic-style measurement scale in a digital photography project.

Classroom Connections

• Metric Publications
• NIST Special Publications (SP)
• SI Units
• Fundamental Physical Constants
• Meet the Constants
• Definitions of SI Base Units
• SI Units – Length
• SI Units – Time
• SI Units – Amount of substance
• SI Units – Electric current
• SI Units – Temperature
• SI Units – Luminous intensity
• SI Units – Mass
• SI Units – Area
• SI Units – Volume
• SI Prefixes
• Unit Conversion

Additional Resources 

• SI Teacher Kit
• SI Units Card Deck (SP 1297)
• SI Base Units Relationships Poster (NIST SP 1247)
• The International System of Units (SI) (NIST SP 330)
• Guide for the Use of the International System of Units (NIST SP 811)
• Metric Conversion Card (SP 365)
• Metric Pyramid (LC 1140)
• Metric Bookmark
• Metric Children’s Activity Card
• SI Measurement System Chart
• Measurement League: Guardians of the SI Superhero Card Set
• Top 10 Tips for Teaching the Metric System
• Busting Myths about the Metric System
• Education Metrication