report on converting unit

8/8/2019 Report on Converting Unit

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UNIVERSITI BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

ICT IN PRIMARY SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

(PS 0270)

DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION (IN-SERVICE)

TOPIC: MEASUREMENT USING NLVM

(NATIONAL LIBRARY OF VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVE)

MOHAMMAD HELME BIN PANJANG - 10D0018

LECTURER

DR LEONG


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Question: Create a lesson on MEASUREMENT topic and Dr Leong gives

one of sub-topicfrom Utah State Website

(http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html ). Upload a lesson in Google

Doc and copy link the URL to our blog or SHBIE.wordpress or email the

link to Dr Leong email.

My topic is more focus on secondary level. I was given Converting Unit formy Sub-topic. This sub-topic is using Virtual manipulative for Measurement,grades 6 - 8.

Specific Objectives:

y Students able to understand the relationships among units ( Time,Length, Weight, Area and Volume).

y Help students to understand the conversion from one set of units ofmeasurement to another within the same system.

Learning Outcomes:

y Student able to solve unit conversion problems.

y Student able to create own unit conversion problems.

Introduction

This manipulative is intended to help students understand the conversion from

one set of units of measurement to another.

The five sets of units are Time, Length, Weight (we do not distinguishbetween weight and mass), Area, and Volume. The choices within each

category are limited, but working within these limited options can nevertheless

give students the understanding necessary to make other conversions they

may encounter.

The fundamental principle at work here is "cancellation of units." This is

accomplished by multiplying by an expression equal to unity that accomplishes a

cancellation. As our students learn, "Multiplying by 1 doesn't change the value."

Each equivalence, such as "12 inches equals 1 foot," can be written as two

fractions each representing 1: (12 in / 1 ft) and (1 ft / 12 in). Given an expression

involving feet, multiplication by only one of the fractions will allow cancellationof feet, yielding an expression in terms of inches.

Multiplying by the inappropriate fraction produces an error message, "No

cancellation available. Undo and try again." Students should recognize that

multiplication by that particular choice is not in any way "wrong;" rather, it just

does not allow a cancellation of the type that moves us toward our goal. In this

regard, it should be noted that there is not a single correct sequence of steps to

be followed to a particular unit conversion. As long as a cancellation occurs, the


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step is shown and the student can continue. The computer indicates "Correct"

when the desired units are achieved, and there may be many different paths to

that end.

All cancellations are shown in the workspace with colored hash marks. At the

end of a sequence of steps, the whole operation is still visible, with all

cancellations and the result of all computations.

This manipulative has no provision for multiplying length units to get area or

volume units. At some point, students need to learn that a square yard contains 9

square feet. While such a conversion cannot be done directly with this Convert

Units manipulative, students who have worked with the manipulative should be

able to recognize that 1 square yard represents the product (1 yd x 1 yd) so that

conversion to square feet (1 ft x 1 ft) can be accomplished in two steps by

multiplying twice by the unit fraction (3 ft / 1 yd).

How to solve unit conversion problem?

1. Students will choose Time, Length, Weight, Area, or Volume to clickon toconvert this value.

Under each tab is a set of buttons each showing equivalence between two

different units of measurement.


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2. Student will click on an equivalence that relates units thathe/sheinterested in.

3. Student may need several sets of equivalences to make the desiredconversion.Each equivalence may be expressed in two ways in fractional

form representing multiplication by 1.

Student job is to choose the fraction that will allow cancellation of units.


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4. Student will drag the fraction he/she has selected into the dashed box toshow multiplication by 1.

The fractions will disappear, colored lines will display the cancellation,

and the result of the conversion will appear.

5. Student may need another sets of equivalences to make the desiredconversion.

Student job is to choose another fraction that will allow cancellation of

unit


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6. Student will drag the fraction he/she has selected into the dashed box toshow multiplication by 1.


and the result of the conversionwill appear.

7. The message ofCorrect!are appear meaning the answer of conversion arecorrect.

8. BUT REMEMBER, if the selected fraction does not allow any cancellation,you will see an error message.

However, student can still try other fraction by clickUndotobackupand

tryagain.


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How to create our own unit conversion problems?

1. ClickontheCreate your ownradiobuttonandfollowtheinstructions.

2. Studentmayenteranumberintheblackeditboxbeforeorafteryousettheunits.

Tocorrecttheplacementorchoiceofunit,clickNewandstartover.The

Undobuttononlyappliestotheunitscancellationoperation.


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3. Clickaunitbutton.Abluedraggableunitboxwillappear.

4. Dragtheunitboxtooneofthedashedboxesintheproblemstatement.


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5. Repeattheprocesstofilledadashedbox.Clickaunitbutton.Abluedraggableunitboxwillappear.

Dragtheunitboxtooneofthedashedboxesintheproblemstatement.


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6. ClickBegintobegintheproblemyouposed.

Theconversionproblemwillappearintheworkspace.

7. StudentswillchooseTime,Length,Weight,Area,orVolumetoclickontoconvertthisvalue.

Undereachtabisasetofbuttonseachshowingequivalencebetweentwo

differentunitsofmeasurement.


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8. Studentwillclickonanequivalencethatrelatesunitsthathe/sheinterestedin.

9. Studentwilldragthefractionhe/shehasselectedintothedashedboxtoshowmultiplicationby1.


andtheresultoftheconversionwillappear.

10.ThemessageofCorrect!areappearmeaningtheanswerofconversionare

correct.


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11.BUTREMEMBER,iftheselectedfractiondoesnotallowanycancellation,youwillseeanerrormessage.

However,studentcanstilltryotherfractionbyclickUndotobackupand

tryagain.

12.ClickNewtocreateanewproblem.


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How to teach without computer?

Briefly, computers do not present a threat to teachers, as computers will

complement teachers abilities, not replace them. Therefore, computers should

only be seen as teaching aids or media to support the process ofteaching and

learning. In relation to that, teachers are required to discover how to use

technology in context, using it to address the needs and abilities of learners tothecurriculumgoalsandlearningcontent.

Withoutcomputerswecanstillconvertthe unitbyusingotheralternativeof

teaching.Byexplainingalessononawhiteboard,alessonobjectivearestillcan

archive.

Iwillexplainhowtocancelling/convertingunitwithoutcomputers.

To convert between units, student usually given one measure and asked to

convert to another measure. For instance, student be given some volume in

"gallons"andbeaskedtoconvertthevolumeto"fluidounces".Teacherwillhave

givenstudenttheconversionunitsthat aresuitabletothetask. Inthesesimple

scenarios,allstudenthavetodotoconvertisrememberafairlysimplerule:

y Goingtosmallerunitsmeangoingtobiggernumbers,somultiply

y Goingtobiggerunitsmeangoingtosmallernumbers,sodivide

Here'showitworks:

Question: Convert 3 gallons to quarts.

Quarts are smaller than gallons; every gallon has four quarts. Since

itsconvertingfromalargerunit(gallons)toasmallerunit(quarts),theanswer

needstobeabiggernumber.Somultiplytheproblem:

(3)(4) = 12

Answer: 12 quarts

Question: Convert 7920 yards to miles.

Miles are bigger than yards; there are 1760yards in every mile. Since

itsconverting from a smaller unit (yards)to a bigger unit (miles), the answer

needstobeasmallernumber.Sodividetheproblem:

7920 1760 = 4.5

Answer: 4.5 miles

Aboveareexamplesofone-stepconversions:


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Putting itall together, it s get thefollowinglong string:

ow canceloffthe units:

ince the units cancel,leaving with the "meters per second" that it s need circled

above), tudent shouldknow thenumbers mustbe in therightplaces. o toget

the answer, what have to do is grab a calculator and simplify the fraction

multiplication:

This says that miles per hour is equivalent to ust under 6 meters persecond.Forty is more than thirty-six, so:

Answer: 40 meters per second is faster than 80 miles per hour.

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