Length is all around us! Some things are long, like a rope or a hallway. Other things are short, like a crayon or your finger. In this topic, you'll learn to recognize which objects are long and which are short by looking at them and comparing them to other things.

What is Length?

Length tells us how long something is from one end to the other. When we talk about length, we might also say:
- How long or short something is
- How tall or short someone is
- How wide or narrow something is

Long vs. Short

Long objects go far from one end to the other:
- A jump rope
- A long stick
- A hallway
- Your teacher's arm

Short objects don't go very far:
- An eraser
- Your pinky finger
- A short pencil
- A button

How to Tell

You can tell if something is long or short by:
1. Looking at it - Does it go far or stay close?
2. Comparing to your body - Is it longer than your hand? Your arm?
3. Comparing to other objects - Is it longer than a book? A table?

Long things at home:
- Your bed
- The kitchen table
- A garden hose
- A broom handle

Short things at home:
- A toothbrush
- A cookie
- A sock
- Your spoon

Long things at school:
- The hallway
- A rope in gym class
- The teacher's desk
- A jump rope

Short things at school:
- A crayon
- Your nose
- An eraser
- A goldfish cracker

1. Play I Spy: "I spy something long!" Look around and find long things.
2. Use your body: Compare things to your arm, hand, or finger.
3. Look carefully: Sometimes things that look short are actually long when you look at them from a different direction!
4. Talk about it: Use the words "long" and "short" when you see things.

NASA Connection: Rockets are very long! They need to be long to hold all the fuel and equipment. Some rockets are as long as a football field!

Nature Connection: Trees have long trunks. Caterpillars are long. Ants are short. Look for long and short things on a nature walk!

At the Store: Some aisles in the grocery store are long. Tiny candies are short. Can you find both?

Mistake: "Big means long"
- Truth: Something can be big but short, like a beach ball. Something can be small but long, like a piece of string.

Mistake: "You have to measure to know if something is long or short"
- Truth: You can see which things are long and short just by looking!

• Long things go far from one end to the other
• Short things don't go very far
• You can use your eyes and your hands to tell which is which
• Everything has length - even tiny things!
• It's okay if you're not sure sometimes. Looking carefully helps!