Body Measurement — Traditional Systems · Years 7–10
Before rulers and tape measures, people used their own bodies to measure things! This was practical — you always have your body with you. Māori and many other cultures developed sophisticated measurement systems using body parts.
The width of one finger, used for small measurements.
≈ 1-2 cm
From tip of thumb to tip of little finger when stretched.
≈ 18-22 cm
From elbow to fingertips.
≈ 45-50 cm
From fingertip to fingertip with arms stretched wide.
≈ 1.5-1.8 m
The length of one walking step.
≈ 60-80 cm
The length of your foot.
≈ 20-30 cm
| Unit | Culture | Description | Modern Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubit | Ancient Egypt | Elbow to fingertip | ≈ 45 cm |
| Foot | Roman/British | Length of adult foot | 30.48 cm |
| Inch | British | Width of thumb | 2.54 cm |
| Fathom | Sailors | Outstretched arms | 1.83 m |
| Hand | Horse measuring | Width of palm | 10.16 cm |
Measure your own body and calculate your units:
| Body Unit | Your Measurement (cm) |
|---|---|
| Finger width | |
| Hand span | |
| Cubit (elbow to fingertip) | |
| Arm span | |
| Foot length | |
| Pace (step length) |
Use your body measurements to measure:
Compare with a classmate. Are your answers the same? Why or why not?
What I learned about measurement:
Curriculum alignment for this handout has not yet been verified against the live curriculum statements. A generated placeholder that stood here was removed on 2026-08-29 because it matched no real statement.
Reflect on your learning. What was the most important idea? What question do you still have?
Mathematics has always been part of mātauranga Māori — in the navigation of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, in the architectural precision of wharenui, in the sophisticated storage and accounting systems of rua kūmara, and in the patterns of kōwhaiwhai and tukutuku that encode mathematical relationships in visual form. When Māori students engage with mathematics, they are not encountering something foreign: they are meeting a domain of knowledge that their tīpuna practised with extraordinary sophistication. Framing mathematical learning through whakapapa — connecting concepts to real Māori contexts — is not "cultural add-on" but recognition of where much mathematical knowledge lives in this land.
This handout is designed to be used alongside other resources in the same unit. This handout stands on its own; it is not part of a linked unit planner. All content is provided — no additional preparation is required to use this handout in your classroom.