U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Physical Measurement Laboratory

Office of Weights and Measures

SI Units Card Deck (SP 1297)

Share

Black and White graphic. Left side has black images of scales, rulers, SI logo. Right side has white images on black background of same items. The middle of image has a gray cirle with EDUCATION in black letters.

 

SI Units Card Deck (SP 1297)
Credit: NIST

SI Units Card Deck (SP 1297)

Edition: 2023

Keywords:Activity, amount of substance, ampere, base, candela, classroom, collaborate, defining constant, derived, education, electric current, game, individual, International System of Units, kilogram, kelvin, length, luminous intensity, mass, measure, meter, metric system, mole, play, prefix, second, STEM, team, thermodynamic temperature, time, unit
Audience:Students, educators, parents, academic coordinators, outreach ambassadors, formal, and informal
Grade Level:3rd to Higher Education
Subjects:Art, biology, chemistry, life science, Earth science, engineering, environmental science, mathematics, physical science, physics, STEM, technology
Metric Education Activity Summary Section Banner
SI Units Card Game-NIST Interns enjoy playing SI Units Card Game Find the Match - Prefixes-2023
NIST interns enjoy playing the SI Units Card Deck game “Find the Match – Prefixes.
Credit: NIST

Welcome to the SI Units Card Deck (SP 1297), an interactive educational activity that offers a fun way for learners to enhance their understanding of the International System of Units (SI), including the defining constants, base units, derived units with special names, and prefixes. With multiple game variations, games may be differentiated for instructional and skill levels.

Play activities, like those within this resource, are an easy way to motivate students to learn, build self-confidence and transfer SI measurement skills to other situations. Familiarity with the elements and structure of the International System of Units (SI), commonly known as the metric system, will prepare students to successfully make measurements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) applications.

Did you know that you can obtain a free set of metric education resources for use in your classroom? Contact the NIST TheSI [at] nist.gov (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.

  • Demonstrate relationships between the elements of the International System of units: defining constants, base units, derived units with special names, and prefixes.
  • Apply strategic decision-making during gameplay.
  • Collaborate and Communicate within a team.

Required

  • Digital file (PDF). Activity includes 142 cards, blank replacement cards, game instructions, blank game template, and supporting resources. Nine card sets (A to I) are available. Print the appropriate card sets, instructions, and resources based on the classroom game(s) that will be played.
  • U.S. office size card stock 215.9 mm x 279.4 mm (8.5 in x 11 in).
  • Cutting tools (paper trimmer, paper cutter, or scissors). Cutting instructions are described in the digital file.
  • Binder clips and envelopes. Storage instructions are described in the digital file.

Use caution when handling paper edges and scissors to prevent injury. Keep fingers clear of cutting areas.

  • Use the Top 10 Tips for Teaching the Metric System.
    • Measurement concepts are meaningfully established through hands-on activities. Application, not memorization, is the key to success!  
    • 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.
    • 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.
  • Introduce the elements and structure of the SI prior to undertaking this activity.
  • Encourage students to use the card deck as a “homework helper” and exam study aid. Illustrate how the SI is applied in real-world examples.
  • Game activities divide major elements of the SI measurement system into chunks and reinforce their relationships: 1) defining constants, 2) base units, 3) derived units with special names, and 4) prefixes.
  • This resource may be used by individual students or small teams in both formal and informal learning settings.
Metric Education Activity Games Section Banner

Set

Title

Pages

Grade Level

3rd to 5th

6th to 8th

9th +

A

Defining Constants

3 to 4

 

 

X

B

Base Units Name

5 to 6

 

X

X

C

Base Units Symbol

7 to 8

 

X

X

D

Base Units Quantity

9 to 10

 

X

X

E

Derived Units Name

11 to 16

 

 

X

F

Derived Units Symbol

17 to 22

 

 

X

G

Derived Units Quantity

23 to 28

 

 

X

H

SI Prefixes

Name & Symbols, Factors (Large)

29 to 32

33 to 36

X

X

X

I

SI Prefixes

Name & Symbols, Factors (Small)

37 to 40

41 to 44

X

X

X

  • Find the Match: Prefixes Game. Explore this activity, which is designed to build familiarity with the International System of Units (SI) and provide learners with an opportunity to successfully apply SI prefixes using NIST SP 1297 SI Prefixes decks sets H and I (large and small). The primary objective of this game is to uncover and match cards within the sets. In each round, participants match the corresponding SI prefixes name/symbol card to the factor cards to demonstrate relationships between the SI prefixes, apply strategic decision-making, as well as collaborate and communicate within a team.

EXPLORE THE METRIC PROGRAM

Becoming Familiar with SI | Everyday Estimation | Metrication FAQs | Prefixes | Metric Kitchen | SI Education and Training | SI Publications | Understanding Metric | Writing with Metric Units | National Metric Week | NEST-R (STEM Registry) | NIST Education Resources

Metrology, Metric and Weights and measures

Contacts

Created January 10, 2024, Updated August 27, 2025
Was this page helpful?