Unit Plan 11 (Grade 4 Math): Measurement Word Problems—Units Matter

Focus: Solve multi-step word problems involving intervals of time, liquid volume, mass/weight, and money/decimals using the four operations, equations with unknowns, and visual models (tape diagrams, number line diagrams, tables).

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: Mathematics (Measurement & Data • Operations & Algebraic Thinking • Number & Operations in Base Ten)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students learn to make sense of measurement stories by identifying what’s given, what’s asked, and which units and operations are needed. They practice elapsed-time, volume, mass, and money scenarios, represent thinking with diagrams/tables, write equations with a symbol for the unknown, and check reasonableness with estimation and units.

Essential Questions

• How do I decide which operation(s) fit a measurement situation?
• Why do diagrams (tape or number line) and tables help me plan multi-step solutions?
• How do units, labels, and estimation show that my answer is reasonable?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Decode measurement word problems and select appropriate operations (add, subtract, multiply, divide).
2. Represent situations with tape diagrams, number line diagrams (including time lines), and two-column tables.
3. Write equations with a letter for the unknown, solve, and interpret results in context.
4. Solve elapsed-time, liquid-volume, mass/weight, and money/decimal problems, including multi-step.
5. Use estimation and unit labels to verify reasonableness and catch errors.

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 4 (spiral across the unit)

• 4.MD.2: Use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money, including problems that require expressing measurements given in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit. Represent measurement quantities using diagrams such as number line diagrams that feature a measurement scale.
• Connections: 4.OA.3 (multistep word problems), 4.MD.1 (unit relationships, light), 4.NBT.4–6 (multi-digit operations), 4.NF.6 (decimal notation for money, light).
• Mathematical Practices (MP.1–MP.8) threaded throughout.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can choose the operation(s) that fit the story and explain why.
• I can model the problem with a tape diagram, number line, or table, then write an equation with an unknown.
• I can keep units and labels accurate and use an estimate to check if my answer makes sense.