Not everything needs to be a big project to be authentic. Tracking snowfall can be a great authentic way to learn measurement and graphing.
Use a ruler to go out and measure how much snow is on the ground after a snow fall. Track measurements through one storm, or through the entire winter season. Create a graph with your results. Discuss different types of graphs and what graph would make the most sense to use and why. If you are in the US, have your students measure using both inches and centimeters. (If you don’t have snow where you live – count yourself fortunate – you can measure rainfall.)
Working with a group of fifth graders, I had them measure paper to cover bulletin boards. These kids had completed hundreds of worksheets on measurement, yet none of them were comfortable using a ruler. Not one of them knew how to approach measuring a bulletin board – after completing hundreds of worksheets! Basically, these worksheets had been a total waste of time. Using a ruler to measure something meaningful and real – authentic – internalizes the skill for a child.
The Educational Journey 