Metric Capers

Have you ever heard the old saying: “Give ’em a centimeter and they’ll take a kilometer?” You haven’t?

Measurements in all OBIS activities, like all science investigations, are metric. In this activity, the participants develop their “metric senses” by measuring and estimating in metric units the mass, length, volume, and temperature of familiar objects.

Outdoor Biology Instructional Strategies (OBIS) is an outdoor program that offers young people fun and challenging opportunities to investigate ecological relationships in their local environment. OBIS was developed in the 1970s at the Lawrence Hall of Science to help adults (teachers, parents, community leaders) take young people outdoors to experience ecological principles in their local area. We have made several of the original 97 OBIS activities available digitally. These activities, which increase environmental awareness, can be used individually or in combination. These simple experiences then act as a gateway for children and adults to explore and understand their local environment.