Into Math Grade 3, Unit 5: Geometry, Measurement, and Data
In this unit, your child sorts four-sided shapes, tells time to the minute, measures mass and liquid volume, reads picture graphs and bar graphs, and learns what area means. It is a wide-ranging close to the year that follows the fractions unit and puts multiplication to work in real measuring, from reading a scale to counting squares inside a shape.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Unit 5?
- Grouping quadrilaterals, shapes with four sides, by features such as square corners and equal sides, and seeing that a square is also a rectangle. Learn more: Sorting four-sided shapes into families
- Telling time to the minute and solving problems about elapsed time, the minutes that pass between a start and an end. Learn more about telling time to the minute: Telling time to the minute · Learn more about working out how many minutes have passed
- Measuring mass in grams and kilograms and liquid volume in liters, and solving word problems with those amounts. Learn more: Weighing things and measuring liquids
- Reading and drawing picture graphs and bar graphs where each picture or square stands for more than one, such as 5. Learn more: Reading picture graphs and bar graphs
- Understanding area as the number of unit squares that cover a flat shape with no gaps or overlaps. Learn more: Area: how much flat space a shape covers
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
Look at the shapes. They are all quadrilaterals. How many of them have 4 square corners?
- 2
- 3
- 1
How you can help
- Before an outing, ask your child to read a clock with hands and figure out how long until you leave, such as from 2:38 to 3:00.
- Read package labels in the kitchen, such as a 2-liter bottle and a 500-gram box, then sort the items by type and make a quick bar graph together.
- Count the squares on a game board or a tiled floor to find its area, and point out quadrilaterals around you, like windows, tiles, and doors.
Where kids can get stuck
- Ignoring a graph's key and counting each picture as one, so 4 stars worth 5 books each read as 4 books.
- Calling a tilted square a diamond, thinking that turning a shape changes what it is.
- Adding minutes as if an hour had 100, so 2:50 plus 20 minutes becomes 2:70 instead of 3:10.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- quadrilateral
- Any flat, closed shape with 4 straight sides.
- elapsed time
- How much time passes from the start of something to the end.
- mass
- How heavy something is, measured in grams or kilograms.
- gram
- A small unit of mass; a paper clip is about 1 gram.
- kilogram
- A unit of mass equal to 1,000 grams; a big dictionary is about 1 kilogram.
- liter
- A unit of liquid volume; a large water bottle holds about 1 liter.
- bar graph
- A graph that uses bars of different lengths to show and compare data.
- scale
- The numbers along a graph's side, or the marks on a measuring tool.
- area
- The amount of flat space a shape covers, measured in square units.
Ready to build your child’s confidence with measurement and graphs?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
Join the club
Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does Into Math Grade 3 Unit 5 cover?
Into Math Grade 3 Unit 5 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
- 3.G.A.1: Sort shapes into groups, like quadrilaterals (four-sided shapes).
- 3.MD.A.1: Tell time to the minute, and work out how many minutes have passed.
- 3.MD.A.2: Estimate and measure in grams, kilograms, and liters.
- 3.MD.B.3: Read bar graphs and picture graphs to answer "how many more?"
- 3.MD.C.5: Understand area: how many squares it takes to cover a flat shape.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.