Students having the knowledge and familiarity with various forms of measurements is important because the need for measuring and estimating will appear in innumerable ways throughout their lives, whether it be in baking a cake, arranging the furniture in a room, or creating various crafts. A UK research study has found that since the 1970s, a student’s ability to estimate sizes has decreased by two grade levels. Afterschool programs have the opportunity to help reverse this trend, but then are faced with the question of which measuring system to use, metric or imperial?

The National Afterschool Association (NAA) provides an interesting read that goes into detail about the history of the metric and imperial system. For instance, most of us have heard that Napoleon Bonaparte was as a very short historical figure. “Napoleon’s height was recorded as 5 feet 2 inches. In Britain, at war with France during Napoleon’s time, his height was considered—rather rudely—to be laughably short and the British made a lot of fun of their short adversary. What’s not mentioned? During Napoleon’s time, the French inch was longer than the British inch. In British inches, Napoleon was 5 feet 6 inches—about average height for his time.” The U.S. is one of three countries in the world that still uses the imperial system of measurement and this is, in a sense, due to pirates. When the United States was just becoming a united country Jefferson was tasked with standardizing weights and measurements. He preferred the French’s metric system, but British pirates robbed him and the standards were lost, therefore the U.S. reluctantly standardized the measurements already in place under the British system, which was the imperial system. Even the British eventually switched to the metric system, but we are one of three countries still using the imperial.

So when conducting and estimating measurements in your afterschool program which system should you use? The NAA recommends teaching both, even if it’s also a learning process for you as well. Students are likely going to be confronted with both systems in their lives so its important you as an educator don’t shy away from either and instead promote the use of both.