Learning Activity

Show Me the Benchmark (Rounding Lesson)

Subject Area

Mathematics

Grade(s)

4

Overview

Students will be working with a partner to generate benchmark numbers (to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand) for number cards.  They will use the benchmarks to round the number using place value understanding.  The students will be standing at the front of the class to create an embodied number line using teacher and peer support.

Mathematics (2019) Grade(s): 4

MA19.4.9

Round multi-digit whole numbers to any place using place value understanding.

Unpacked Content

UP:MA19.4.9

Vocabulary

  • Round
  • Place value
  • Ones
  • Tens
  • Hundreds
  • Thousands
  • Ten thousands
  • Approximately
  • Halfway point

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The relationship among positions of digits in a number and place value. They can use that knowledge to round numbers to nay place.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use place value strategies to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • rounding multi-digit numbers is an estimation strategy used when writing the original number as the closest multiple of a power of 10.

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to round multi-digit whole numbers using place value understanding.

Students will be able to:

  • generate benchmark numbers to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand
  • use benchmark numbers to round a number to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand

Activity Details

  • The teacher will need to set up a "number line" at the front of the room.  Only the two endpoints need to be marked.  This could be tape on the floor, the edges of a carpet or two chairs placed some distance apart.
  • Choose one student to select a number card.
  • Choose two more students to come up and generate two benchmark numbers based on the rounding directions (nearest ten, hundred, or thousand) for the number.  Once the two students agree on the two benchmarks, they should write each one on a dry-erase board and then stand at the two endpoints of the number line.
  • The first student should move towards the benchmark based on where the number would be placed on the number line.  This can be done as a whole class, with the students yelling out game-show-style which direction to move, or the student can decide on his/her own.
  • Once the student has chosen which direction to move (and rounded the number), the teacher should discuss the correct answer and choose new students to start again.
  • Notes:
    • The numbers can be given a real-world context occasionally throughout the lesson to reinforce the purpose of rounding. For example, if the number card says 278, the teacher might say, "Pretend we have 278 seats in the cafeteria.  About how many seats is that?"
    • The directions can be kept simple by rounding 2-digit numbers to the nearest ten, 3-digit to the nearest hundred, and 4-digit to the nearest thousand.  Once the students have mastered this level, complexity can be introduced with trickier combinations, such as rounding 4-digit numbers to the nearest ten. 
Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Listen to student discussions to determine if students are able to generate appropriate benchmarks and round to the nearest ten, hundred, or thousand.

You may want to use a student checklist to keep track of which students have participated in each part of the activity to observe for both benchmark-generating and rounding from each student.

Variation Tips

  • You may use only the 2-, 3-, or 4-digit number cards depending on student need.
  • As a challenge, the teacher can select two benchmarks and have a student choose a number that would fall between them.  Another student can round the number.

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

  • The teacher will need to set up a "number line" at the front of the room.  Only the two endpoints need to be marked.  This could be tape on the floor, the edges of a carpet or two chairs placed some distance apart.
  • Print and cut apart the number cards.
  • Gather two dry-erase boards and markers.

Digital Tools / Resources

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vF1jJdVlhDCotSejNdAyyHgP1rPzhfnLAhOQe0t…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

seasley
ALSDE LOGO

This site may contain links to other websites or content belonging to or originating from third parties or links to websites and features in banners or other advertising. Such external links are not investigated, monitored, or checked for accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness by us. WE DO NOT WARRANT, ENDORSE, GUARANTEE, OR ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY INFORMATION OFFERED BY THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES LINKED THROUGH THIS SITE.
Alabama Learning Exchange © 2002-2023 by Alabama State Department of Education is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Design by Adaptive Theme