Measure the Giraffe

• 1). Choose a building or climbable pole that is at least 20 feet in height (high enough to measure a giraffe).
  
  
• 2). Lay the heavy end of a measuring tape on the ground beside the building or pole. Lay a heavy object such as a rock on it.
  
  
• 3). Stand a ladder beside the building. Climb the ladder or pole to a height of 20 feet, pulling the measuring tape with you.
  
  
• 4). Climb down, marking each foot from 20 feet to 5 feet with a marker. Mark each foot with a long line, each inch with a short line. Write the numbers for each foot beside the foot markings. If you do not need as accurate a measurement, you can just mark the foot and half-foot intervals.
  
  

Record the Growth

• 1). Download a free spreadsheet application such as OpenOffice.org, Calc, Gnumeric or log on to Google Spreadsheets. Create a new file. Save the file with the name of your giraffe and the date he or she was born.
  
  
• 2). Write the years, starting from the year you are in now to 30 years from now, across the top row with each year in a separate cell. Write the months from January to December down the first column, starting from the second row.
  
  
• 3). Copy and paste the text you just entered into additional spreadsheet pages if you have more than one giraffe.
  
  
• 4). Record the giraffe's height in the corresponding cell for the month and year you measured him or her, starting at birth.