Metric measurement poster (free printable equivalents)
Seven metric facts in two columns, each showing how many of a small unit make a larger one. Post it beside the rulers and balances, or send it home with a measuring project.
To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.
About this sheet
The metric system is built on tens, which is why it suits a class that already knows place value. Each fact on this poster says how many of a small unit fill one larger unit: ten millimeters make a centimeter, a thousand grams make a kilogram. The prefixes repeat across length, volume and mass, so learning one family helps with the others. The poster lists seven such facts in two columns and prints large enough to read from the back of the room. Because every line is editable you can cut it down to centimeters and meters for a third grade class, or add the hectare or the tonne for older students who meet bigger numbers.
Grades: 3 to 7.
How to use it
- Look over the seven default rows and delete or rewrite any that your grade has not met yet.
- Print the poster on letter or A4 and hang it near the balances, the meter sticks and the liter beakers.
- Start a measuring task, then point to the row that lets a child turn a length or a weight into the next unit up.
Five ideas for class
- Show that a small paper clip weighs about a gram, then ask children to guess how many make a kilogram, and check against the poster.
- Stand in a doorway and say it is about two meters high. Children then find something about one meter and something about a hundred centimeters.
- Teach moving the decimal point: three meters is three hundred centimeters, so the point shifts two places, and the poster explains why.
- Put a one-liter bottle on the table and ask how many milliliters it holds, so the thousand on the poster is something children can picture.
- Run a scavenger hunt for objects near a centimeter, a meter and a gram, and have teams record each find with its unit.
Related
Questions
How is this different from the customary poster?
Metric units all step up by tens, hundreds or thousands, so the chart has one pattern. The customary chart has many different numbers, and children need more time with it.
Should I teach the prefixes too?
It helps. Milli means a thousandth, centi a hundredth, and kilo a thousand. Write the prefix meanings in the margin or add them as extra rows.
Which grades is it for?
It is aimed at grades three to seven. Younger children can use the centimeter and meter rows, and older students can add the larger and smaller units.
How do I save it as a PDF?
Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.
Can I print it in black and white?
Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.
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