Metric Conversions Posters

Converting metric measurements has always made me to stop and think. A centimeter is 10 times larger than a millimeter, but to convert from centimeter to millimeter we divide by multiply by 10. This has always send my brain on a bit of a loop de loop. 

I wanted to make a set of posters that not only showed the conversions, but also showed a size comparison. This way, it may spark a conversation about conversions versus size. "A kilometer divided by 1000 is a meter, but we multiply kilometers by 1000 to convert to meters. 8km = 8000m."

You can grab the set of posters free here in my Google Drive.

A quick note about the arrows, because I've gotten some feedback... The top arrow compares size, the bottom is conversion. I'll use the below poster as an example: "Millimeter x 10 = centimeter, but to convert from mm to cm, we divide by 10." 

I also got a couple tips from teachers for teaching metric conversions:

"Horse to Fly, Multiply Fly to Horse, Divide, of course!" - Ms. McElroy

"If you increase the unit, you decrease the amount (and vice versa) - I usually tell the students that they need to run less often if they use a bigger bucket to move water from one place to another - bigger bucket = less trips/smaller bucket = more trips seems a lot more comprehensible." - Ms. Baier

Metric activities:

Metric Conversions Digital Math Escape Room

Metric an Customary Conversions Math Pennant Activity