In 1900 most people never traveled more than 30 miles from home. If they traveled by rail, chances are they had to keep changing trains, because the size of the tracks was different in every state. That's because there were no measurements or rules followed by everybody. There were no standards. Life before standards was often inconvenient, and even dangerous.
Lesson Synopsis: Students evaluate the reliability of the cubit as an early unit of measure, use calipers and other measuring tools to measure circumferences and diameters, and create a paper tower that meets a specified set of standards.
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