National Metric Week

National Metric Week is celebrated each year during the week containing 10 October, which is the tenth day of the tenth month. This year, it will be celebrated October 9-15. The metric system, an international decimalized system of measurement, is now the official system of measurement used in every country in the world but three. The United States is the only industrialized country that is still yet to adopt it as its official system of measurement.

I first realized the importance of using metric units in my lessons in 1998. That was the year that I had my lessons translated into French by consultants based in Québec. As part of that project, I revised the English version of my lessons on Geometry and Measurement to include metric units. For example, Perimeter and Area of Polygons uses both metric and English units throughout. The same is true for Circumference and Area of Circles.

In any event, National Metric Week provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to acquaint students with the metric system, or to expand their knowledge about it. These ideas can be used throughout the school year to teach the metric system. Join my free newsletter to get the latest information about math news, site updates and special events.