3
Longer and shorter
Learner’s Book 1: Unit 4, pp. 60–62
GoalCompare lengths using longer, longest, shorter and shortest by lining things up.
New words
longer · more long than another thinglongest · the most long of allheight · how far it is from the bottom to the topline up · put the ends side by side
Explanation
Some things are not tall, they are just long, like a straw or a train. To compare two lengths, line them up. Put one end of each thing at the same place. Then look at the other ends. The one that goes further is longer. The other one is shorter. With three things, the longest goes furthest and the shortest stops first. Height is how far it is from the bottom to the top. You can compare real things too: put a spoon next to a fork, with the ends level, and look.
Worked examples
Three straws are lined up at the left end. B goes furthest, so B is the longest. A stops first, so A is the shortest.
A train is longer than a bike. The bike is shorter than the train.
Which is longer, your shoe or your book? Put them side by side with one end level. Then you can see which is longer.
Class activity
Line-up game: collect 5 things like spoons, crayons, pencils and shoes. Line them up with one end on a line. Find the longest and the shortest. Put them in order from the shortest to the longest. Then compare your hand with a friend’s hand.
Practice
1
Which ribbon is the longest?
B
2
Which pencil is the shortest?
B
3
A boat is shorter than a ship. Which one is longer?
The ship.
4
How can you check which of two pencils is longer?
Put them side by side with one end of each at the same place, then look at the other ends.