Customary Unit Teacher Resources

The Customary Units of measurement used in the United States were copied from England and adopted prior to the Revolutionary War. While most of the world uses the metric system of measurement (England now uses the British Imperial System), except for those working in the scientific community most Americans still use U.S. Customary units to measure length, weight, and capacity.

Introduce units of measurement with this video that distinguishes between U.S. Customary and Metric units. Believe it or not, the U.S. Customary Unit of measurement is actually based on the metric system! Check this video that looks at the prototype of the original one-kilogram French cylinder used as the standard of all weight measurements.

Another great place to start a study of U.S. Customary units is with this resource that explains the need for standard measurement tools. Check out this lesson which will address questions your students might have about the origins of Customary Units. Young mathematicians employ units of capacity (pints, quarts, cups, gallons) to write a mathematical sentence on this worksheet. An interactive resource offers middle schoolers an opportunity to practice unit conversions from miles to yards, to feet, and back again, while this lesson teaches students how to convert from U.S. customary units to metric units and back again.

With materials for all grade levels, our collection of Customary Unit resources is designed to ensure your students can measure up.