Describes how accurate standards of measurements were determined for time, length and width, volume, temperature, and weight with emphasis on the advantages of the metric system.

Most of the rest of the world is on the metric system, and for a time in the 1970s America appeared ready to make the switch. Yet it never happened, and the reasons for that get to the root of who we think we are, just as the measurements are woven into the ways we think. Marciano chronicles the origins of measurement systems, the kaleidoscopic array of standards throughout Europe and the thirteen American colonies, the combination of intellect and...

Polly's got a pen pal - in Canada! Polly's sure that she and her new friend, Ally, will have a lot in common. When Ally writes that she's 125 centimeters tall and weighs 25 kilograms, Polly wants to know if she's the same. Polly wishes she could go and visit her -- but Ally lives 450 kilometers away! Young readers will learn about metric units like centimeters, kilograms, kilometers, and liters as they follow this story of two friends who can't be...

An exploration of the metric system, including centimeters, grams, and liters.

The basics of measurement and measuring tools are introduced using familiar objects such as rulers, tape measures, scales, and measuring cups.