The Metric System

Cross-CurricularCross-Curricular Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Worksheets: D-31 Worksheets: of 36 D-31 of 36 � The Metric System Name:______The MetricCross-Curricular System Focus: Mathematics Name: ______Cross-Curricular Focus: Mathematics Answer the following questions based on the Answerreading the passage. following Don’t questions forget to go based back to on the the readingpassage passage. whenever Don’t necessary forget to to find go or back confirm to the your answers. There are two basic There systems are two basic of measurement:systems of measurement: metric metric, and and customary. passage whenever necessary to fi nd or confi rm customary. The U.S.,The United Liberia States, and Liberia, Myanmar and Myanmar are the are only the onlycountries countries that that still use theyour 1) answers. There is a lot of talk about the metric system being a still use the customarycustomary system. system. Interestingly, Interestingly, the the United United States States was involved was in the metric simpler system. What makes it simpler? system meetings from the beginning. Our representatives signed the 1875 Treaty involved in world meetingsof the Meter. on Signing the metricwas a vote system to recognize during the the meter 18th as a century standard. of ______U.S. representativesmeasurement. signed the So where1875 did Treaty the metric of the system Meter. come Signing from, and the why don’t we 1) Which______system of measurement do you prefer: treaty was a vote useto recognizeit? the meter as a standard of measurement. metric or customary? Explain your answer. So where did the metric In 1790, system just after come the Frenchfrom, Revolutionand why had doesn’t just ended the inU.S. France. The new 2) Why do you think the United States did not use it very much?French government commissioned the French Academy to develop a simpler ______immediately switch to the metric system in 1800? system of measurement. They agreed that one metre would be equal to one In 1790, the French Revolution had just ended in France. The new ______ten-millionth of the distance between the north pole and the equator, measuring______French government commissioned the French Academy to develop a along the Paris meridian. It took ten years to complete the survey and finalize ______simpler system ofthe measurement. metric system. They agreed that one metre would be 2) What three countries still use customary 3) Do you think it was right for the U.S. to sign the Treaty equal to one ten-millionth America ofwas the much distance friendlier between with France the than north with Englandpole and in 1800. the The measurements? equator, measuring along the Paris meridian. It took almost ten years to of the Meter and then not switch to the metric system? American Revolution was fresh in the lives of the people on both sides of the complete the surveyocean. and President fi nalize Thomas the metric Jefferson system. enjoyed a good relationship with the new ______In 1800, AmericaFrench was governme muchnt. friendlier During this with time, France he made thanthe Louisiana with England. Purchase. He bought a huge section of land from France, greatly enlarging the territory of the______The American RevolutionUnited States. was For a somerecent reason, memory the United on bothStates sidesfailed to of immediately the approve 4) Why do you suppose the fields of science and medicine ocean. France hadthe helped new, simpler the U.S.metric during system atthe its war.first opportunity. President Thomas 3) What treaty did the U.S. sign that recognized the Jefferson enjoyed a good relationship with the French government. metric havesystem been asthe afirst standard to switch ofto themeasurement? metric system? Approval for the U.S. to “go metric” was granted by Congress in 1866. The During Jefferson’sU.S. presidency, had already the signed U.S. the boughtTreaty of athe huge Meter area in 1875. of landThe c ustomaryin system ______North America belongingof measurement to France. would notThe go Louisiana quietly. Instead, Purchase the U.S. greatlyadded metric measurements to our system in 1959. For example, one inch is exactly 2.54 ______enlarged the territory of the U.S. However, despite its friendship with centimeters. But there is no direct comparison for the smaller unit, the ______France, the U.S. failed to approve the new, simpler metric system at fi rst. 5) In your opinion, why are people so resistant to change? millimeter. The U.S. government still says our nation is working toward the 4) Name three professional areas in the U.S. that use Congress approvedgoal of going a move metric. to For the now, metric we seem system to be instuck 1866. somewhere Then inin the middle. ______1875, the U.S. signedMany medicalthe Treaty and scientific of the measurementsMeter in 1875. use However,the metric system the usealready. the metric system. However, customary units are still seen in daily places such as marking miles and ______of the customary system of measurement continued. ______miles per hour rather than kilometers or kilometers per hour on our highways. ______The U.S.increasedChange theis difficult. use of It’s metric not the measurements metric system we fear, in the but 1960s.the change.

The U.S. is still working toward the goal of using only the metric ______system. Many medical, military and scientiﬁ c measurements use the Copyright ©2011 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com5) What metric measurement� is similar to a mile? metric system already.� However, customary units are still used in many situations, such as marking miles rather than kilometers on roads. The ______change is made more difﬁ cult by the lack of direct comparisons for some units. For example, one inch is exactly 2.54 centimeters. There is no ______direct comparison for the smaller metric unit, the millimeter.