The Nearest Multiples of 1,000, 10,000, and 100,000
10 min
Narrative
The purpose of an Estimation Exploration is to practice the skill of estimating a reasonable answer based on experience and known information. In this case, students rely on their familiarity with number lines and their understanding of numbers within 1,000 to estimate the value represented by a point on a number line. The reasoning here prepares students to think about the halfway point between two benchmark values as a way to estimate numbers.
Launch
- Groups of 2
- Display image.
- “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
- 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
- “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
- 1 minute: partner discussion
- Record responses.
Student Task
What number could this point represent?
Record an estimate that is:
| too low | about right | too high |
|---|---|---|
Sample Response
- Too low: 0–500
- About right: 600–700
- Too high: 800–1,000
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
- Consider asking: “Is anyone’s estimate less than 500? Is anyone’s estimate greater than 800?”
- “How did you go about making an estimate when only 0 and 1,000 are shown on the line?”
- If no students mentioned using the halfway point or 500 as a reference, ask them about it.
- “How did the midpoint for 500 help you make an estimate?”
- Consider asking: “Did anyone partition the space between 500 to 1,000 into smaller spaces? How did that help you estimate?”
Standards
- 4.NBT.3·Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.
- 4.NBT.A.3·Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.
20 min
15 min
Knowledge Components
All skills for this lesson
No KCs tagged for this lesson
The Nearest Multiples of 1,000, 10,000, and 100,000
10 min
Narrative
The purpose of an Estimation Exploration is to practice the skill of estimating a reasonable answer based on experience and known information. In this case, students rely on their familiarity with number lines and their understanding of numbers within 1,000 to estimate the value represented by a point on a number line. The reasoning here prepares students to think about the halfway point between two benchmark values as a way to estimate numbers.
Launch
- Groups of 2
- Display image.
- “What is an estimate that’s too high? Too low? About right?”
- 1 minute: quiet think time
Teacher Instructions
- “Discuss your thinking with your partner.”
- 1 minute: partner discussion
- Record responses.
Student Task
What number could this point represent?
Record an estimate that is:
| too low | about right | too high |
|---|---|---|
Sample Response
- Too low: 0–500
- About right: 600–700
- Too high: 800–1,000
Activity Synthesis (Teacher Notes)
- Consider asking: “Is anyone’s estimate less than 500? Is anyone’s estimate greater than 800?”
- “How did you go about making an estimate when only 0 and 1,000 are shown on the line?”
- If no students mentioned using the halfway point or 500 as a reference, ask them about it.
- “How did the midpoint for 500 help you make an estimate?”
- Consider asking: “Did anyone partition the space between 500 to 1,000 into smaller spaces? How did that help you estimate?”
Standards
- 4.NBT.3·Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.
- 4.NBT.A.3·Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.