Comparing Sizes and Weights (Big/Small, Long/Short, Heavy/Light)

Have you ever held a tiny, tiny pebble in your hand. It feels so small. Or have you tried to give a giant teddy bear a big, big hug. Your arms can’t even reach all the way around. I love watching you see how one thing is small and one is big. Or how one rock is light and another is heavy. I am there when you decide which toy car is the fastest. Do you know who I am. I am the idea of Comparing. I help you see what is big and what is small.

I have been helping people for a long, long, long time. Way back in prehistoric times, before there were houses or cars, I helped early humans find the best things to use. I would help them look at a pile of rocks and think, 'Which one is the right size to make a tool.'. I helped them look up at a tree and say, 'Is that branch long enough to reach that yummy fruit.'. I helped them survive. A very long time ago, in a sunny place called ancient Egypt, around the year 3000 BCE, people needed to build big, amazing things. Before they had rulers, they used me. They used their hands and their feet to see how long something was. They would say, 'This wall is 20 hands long.'. It was a simple way for everyone to build and trade and share together.

You use me every single day, and it's so much fun. When you build with your blocks, you use me to see, 'Which tower is the tallest.'. When you have a yummy pizza, you might use me to look for the biggest slice. Your grown-ups use me to see how much you have grown by making a little mark on the wall. I help you see how you are getting bigger and stronger every day. Using me is like playing a fun game that helps you understand everything around you. Comparing helps you learn and discover new things.