Curious Ruler
© 2014 Curious Hat
Want to know how long your dog is? Turn your camera-equipped iPad, or iPhone, into a specialized measurement ruler, where you use common objects as units. This is a tool app that would be extremely useful for use in a classroom, when studying units of measurement. You start by selecting a reference object from the 36 available in the app. These include all sorts of common objects from around the world, including coins and paper bills from different countries, a CD-ROM (remember those?) a LEGO or Duplo brick, a soda can, and an iPad. Here's the tricky part: you must place both the reference object and the object you want to measure next to each other and snap a photo. A set of virtual calipers appears, on both the reference item and the object you want to measure. The key to an accurate measure is getting the angle right, and carefully dragging the sliders into just the right place. Swipe left or right to change between US or Metric, or to see the relative comparison of your item. Teachers: give the same item to several students, and see how close they come to the real measure. Or ask them to predict the reading before they measure.
$0.99, iPad, iPhone
Teaches: math, measurement, units of length or height
CTR Rating: 87.5%