What Is a Foot? Measurement Lesson Plan (Kindergarten)

ByTeaching Resources Desk Lesson Plans
Learning about a foot measurement

Grade Band: Early Primary (K–1)
Subject Area: Mathematics

This free measurement lesson helps students understand what a foot means as a real-world length. Early elementary students estimate, build, and measure to learn that 12 inches equals 1 foot, then practice finding objects that are about a foot long.

Overview

Young students often hear “a foot” in everyday language (like “a foot of snow”) without knowing what that looks like. In this multi-day lesson, students build a model of one foot using cubes, learn how to line up a ruler correctly, and use measurement to compare classroom objects. The unit includes a hands-on math center that keeps practice going all week.

Learning Goals

  • Recognize that 12 inches equals 1 foot
  • Estimate a length before measuring
  • Use a ruler correctly by aligning endpoints
  • Measure and compare objects to one foot
  • Explain measurement thinking using words and pictures

Materials

  • Linking cubes or snap cubes
  • Rulers with inches marked clearly
  • Chart paper or whiteboard
  • Pencils, crayons, and paper
  • Assorted classroom objects (blocks, books, paper strips, craft sticks)
  • Bins for sorting (“One foot” and “Not one foot”)
  • Optional: water/sensory tub with safe materials for building a “mountain”

Preparation

  • Make a simple visual anchor chart that shows a ruler and how to line up the edge of an object at zero
  • Set up a measurement station with rulers and cubes
  • Gather a mix of objects that are close to 12 inches and objects that are clearly not
  • Label two sorting bins: “One foot long” and “Not one foot long”

Teaching Procedure

Each session fits a standard class period of 45–50 minutes. Keep the measurement center available for 5 school days for repeated practice.

Session 1 – Estimating and Building One Foot

  1. The teacher introduces the phrase “one foot” and asks students to show with their hands what they think it might look like. Students share quick guesses.
  2. Activity: The teacher tells students, “Build a tower you think is one foot tall.” Materials: linking cubes and a ruler per pair. Students work with a partner to build a cube tower, then measure it by lining the bottom of the tower at zero on the ruler. Students demonstrate understanding by adjusting the tower until it reaches 12 inches.
  3. The teacher models correct ruler alignment using one student tower, emphasizing that the object must start at the ruler’s zero. Students re-check their own towers.
  4. Students draw their final tower and label it “12 inches” and “1 foot.” Students dictate or write one sentence describing what they learned.

Session 2 – Measuring Like a Scientist

  1. The teacher reviews the anchor chart and demonstrates two measurements: one done correctly and one done incorrectly (starting at the number 1). Students explain which is correct and why.
  2. Activity: The teacher gives each pair three classroom objects. Materials: rulers and three objects per pair. Students estimate which object is closest to one foot, then measure all three and circle the closest. Students demonstrate understanding by recording the inch measurement for each object.
  3. The teacher leads a quick share-out: pairs report one object that was close to a foot and one object that was not, using “longer than” or “shorter than.”
  4. Students complete a simple exit slip by drawing an object about one foot long and an object that is not.

Session 3 – Sorting Foot-Long Objects

  1. The teacher introduces the idea that measurement helps us sort objects by a rule. The rule today is “about one foot long.”
  2. Activity: The teacher tells students, “Choose an object, estimate if it is about one foot, then measure and sort it.” Materials: rulers, object bins, and labeled sorting containers. Students measure items and place them into “One foot long” or “Not one foot long.” Students demonstrate understanding by explaining one choice to a partner using measurement words.
  3. The class checks a few “tricky” objects together and discusses why some are close but not exact.
  4. Students make a class poster by drawing one item from each bin and labeling it with its approximate measurement.

Session 4 – One Foot in Stories and Real Life

  1. The teacher reads a short seasonal scenario aloud (example: “We got one foot of snow”) and asks students to picture that amount using their cube towers as a model.
  2. Activity: The teacher tells students, “Build a ‘snowdrift’ or ‘snow mountain’ that is one foot high.” Materials: cubes or blocks and a ruler. Students build a model, measure it to confirm 12 inches, then take a quick sketch to show the height. Students demonstrate understanding by pointing to the 12-inch mark on the ruler.
  3. Students practice using the phrase “one foot” in a sentence: “A ___ is about one foot long.” The teacher records a few class examples.
  4. Students choose one example and draw it on paper with a simple label.

Assessment

  • Teacher observation of ruler alignment and measuring behavior
  • Student drawings with labels showing 12 inches equals 1 foot
  • Partner explanations using “longer,” “shorter,” and “about”
  • Sorting accuracy in the “One foot” vs “Not one foot” bins

Differentiation

  • Provide rulers with highlighted zero and 12-inch marks
  • Use a partner role routine: one student holds the ruler, the other aligns the object
  • Offer pre-measured “foot strips” of paper as an alternative tool
  • Challenge early finishers to estimate and build other heights (6 inches, 9 inches, 15 inches)

Extension Ideas

  • Create a “Foot Hunt” where students find and measure one-foot items around the room
  • Measure how many feet long a table or rug is using repeated one-foot paper strips
  • Have students draw simple directions for measuring correctly using pictures and arrows

Editorial desk for classroom lesson plans and teaching units.