Math / Kindergarten / Unit 3: Measurement and Data

Measurement and Data

Available Fall 2026

Students explore measurement and data by describing, sorting, classifying, and comparing familiar objects. They collect, represent, and interpret meaningful classroom data while comparing measurable attributes such as length, height, weight, and capacity.

Math

Unit 3

Kindergarten

Unit Summary

In Unit 3, students expand their understanding of mathematics by exploring measurement and data through describing, sorting, classifying, comparing, and representing the attributes of objects in their world. The math community continues to foster curiosity through playful inquiry, discussion, and hands-on exploration as students investigate similarities and differences, organize information, and make meaningful comparisons.

In Unit 2, students developed strong number sense within 10 by counting, representing, comparing, and reasoning about quantities. They learned to identify similarities and differences between sets, communicate their mathematical thinking, and use counting to answer questions. These foundational skills now support students as they classify objects, organize data, and compare measurable attributes.

In this unit, students notice and use familiar observable attributes such as color, shape, size, and texture to describe and sort objects in multiple ways. They collect, represent, and interpret data to answer questions about their classroom and world. Students also investigate measurable attributes including length, height, weight, and capacity through direct comparison and ordering. Through these experiences, students recognize that objects can be described, organized, and compared in systematic ways.

Throughout the unit, students model with mathematics as they sort, classify, represent, and compare objects and data MP.4 Model with mathematics. . They look for and make use of structure as they identify attributes and organize collections MP.7 Look for and make use of structure. , and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning as they develop generalizations about measurement and data MP.8 Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. . This work establishes a conceptual basis for future learning in measurement, data analysis, and mathematical reasoning as students make sense of the world through mathematics.

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

Intellectual Prep for All Units

Read and annotate the "Unit Summary" and "Essential Understandings" portions of the unit plan.
Do all the Target Tasks and annotate them with the "Unit Summary" and "Essential Understandings" in mind.
Take the Post-Unit Assessment.

Unit-Specific Intellectual Prep

Read pp. 72-75 on Measurement and Data in The Progressions for the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics.
Read pp. 86-91 on Geometric Measurement in The Progressions for the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics.
Read pp. 6-8 on Standards for Mathematical Practice in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

Essential Understandings

The central mathematical concepts that students will come to understand in this unit

Describe objects using observable and measurable attributes.
Sort and classify objects into categories based on shared attributes and recognize that the same collection can be sorted in different ways.
Collect, organize, and represent data to answer questions and make comparisons about categories.
Count and compare quantities within categories using mathematical language such as “more,” “fewer,” and “same”.
Compare and order objects by measurable attributes through direct comparison.

Materials

The materials, representations, and tools teachers and students will need for this unit

Vocabulary and Models

Unit Vocabulary

capacity

height

length

sort

weight

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 3, view our Kindergarten Vocabulary Glossary.

Lesson Map

Topic A: Describe, Sort, and Classify Objects

Lesson

Topic B: Sort, Classify, and Represent Data

Lesson

Topic C: Compare and Order Measurable Attributes

Lesson

Common Core Standards

Key

Major Cluster

Supporting Cluster

Additional Cluster

Core Standards

The content standards covered in this unit

Counting and Cardinality

K.CC.B.5 — Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1—20, count out that many objects.

Counting and Cardinality

K.CC.B.5 — Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1—20, count out that many objects.
K.CC.C.6 — Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies. Include groups with up to ten objects.

Counting and Cardinality

K.CC.C.6 — Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies. Include groups with up to ten objects.

Measurement and Data

K.MD.A.1 — Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.

Measurement and Data

K.MD.A.1 — Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
K.MD.A.2 — Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has "more of"/"less of" the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.

Measurement and Data

K.MD.A.2 — Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has "more of"/"less of" the attribute, and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.
K.MD.B.3 — Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count. Limit category counts to be less than or equal to 10.

Measurement and Data

K.MD.B.3 — Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count. Limit category counts to be less than or equal to 10.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

MP.4 — Model with mathematics. Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition equation to describe a situation. In middle grades, a student might apply proportional reasoning to plan a school event or analyze a problem in the community. By high school, a student might use geometry to solve a design problem or use a function to describe how one quantity of interest depends on another. Mathematically proficient students who can apply what they know are comfortable making assumptions and approximations to simplify a complicated situation, realizing that these may need revision later. They are able to identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships using such tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas. They can analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions. They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model if it has not served its purpose.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

MP.4 — Model with mathematics. Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition equation to describe a situation. In middle grades, a student might apply proportional reasoning to plan a school event or analyze a problem in the community. By high school, a student might use geometry to solve a design problem or use a function to describe how one quantity of interest depends on another. Mathematically proficient students who can apply what they know are comfortable making assumptions and approximations to simplify a complicated situation, realizing that these may need revision later. They are able to identify important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships using such tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas. They can analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions. They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation and reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model if it has not served its purpose.
MP.7 — Look for and make use of structure. Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure. Young students, for example, might notice that three and seven more is the same amount as seven and three more, or they may sort a collection of shapes according to how many sides the shapes have. Later, students will see 7 × 8 equals the well remembered 7 × 5 + 7 × 3, in preparation for learning about the distributive property. In the expression x² + 9x + 14, older students can see the 14 as 2 × 7 and the 9 as 2 + 7. They recognize the significance of an existing line in a geometric figure and can use the strategy of drawing an auxiliary line for solving problems. They also can step back for an overview and shift perspective. They can see complicated things, such as some algebraic expressions, as single objects or as being composed of several objects. For example, they can see 5 – 3(x – y)² as 5 minus a positive number times a square and use that to realize that its value cannot be more than 5 for any real numbers x and y.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

MP.7 — Look for and make use of structure. Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure. Young students, for example, might notice that three and seven more is the same amount as seven and three more, or they may sort a collection of shapes according to how many sides the shapes have. Later, students will see 7 × 8 equals the well remembered 7 × 5 + 7 × 3, in preparation for learning about the distributive property. In the expression x² + 9x + 14, older students can see the 14 as 2 × 7 and the 9 as 2 + 7. They recognize the significance of an existing line in a geometric figure and can use the strategy of drawing an auxiliary line for solving problems. They also can step back for an overview and shift perspective. They can see complicated things, such as some algebraic expressions, as single objects or as being composed of several objects. For example, they can see 5 – 3(x – y)² as 5 minus a positive number times a square and use that to realize that its value cannot be more than 5 for any real numbers x and y.
MP.8 — Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for general methods and for shortcuts. Upper elementary students might notice when dividing 25 by 11 that they are repeating the same calculations over and over again, and conclude they have a repeating decimal. By paying attention to the calculation of slope as they repeatedly check whether points are on the line through (1, 2) with slope 3, middle school students might abstract the equation (y – 2)/(x – 1) = 3. Noticing the regularity in the way terms cancel when expanding (x – 1)(x + 1), (x – 1)(x² + x + 1), and (x – 1)(x³ + x² + x + 1) might lead them to the general formula for the sum of a geometric series. As they work to solve a problem, mathematically proficient students maintain oversight of the process, while attending to the details. They continually evaluate the reasonableness of their intermediate results.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

MP.8 — Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for general methods and for shortcuts. Upper elementary students might notice when dividing 25 by 11 that they are repeating the same calculations over and over again, and conclude they have a repeating decimal. By paying attention to the calculation of slope as they repeatedly check whether points are on the line through (1, 2) with slope 3, middle school students might abstract the equation (y – 2)/(x – 1) = 3. Noticing the regularity in the way terms cancel when expanding (x – 1)(x + 1), (x – 1)(x² + x + 1), and (x – 1)(x³ + x² + x + 1) might lead them to the general formula for the sum of a geometric series. As they work to solve a problem, mathematically proficient students maintain oversight of the process, while attending to the details. They continually evaluate the reasonableness of their intermediate results.

Future Standards

Standards in future grades or units that connect to the content in this unit

Measurement and Data

1.MD.A.1

Measurement and Data

1.MD.A.1 — Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

1.OA.C.5

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

1.OA.C.5 — Relate counting to addition and subtraction (e.g., by counting on 2 to add 2).

Standards for Mathematical Practice

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 — Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 — Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3 — Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4 — Model with mathematics.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP5 — Use appropriate tools strategically.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6 — Attend to precision.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP7 — Look for and make use of structure.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP8 — Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

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