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POOL PARTY
Topic: ESTIMATION
Grades: 3-5
Students use estimation to get a grip on a bunch of birds - without ruffling any feathers.
NCTM Standard: Number and Operations
Use computational tools and strategies, and estimate appropriately.
DIRECTIONS
Materials Needed
- Copy of activity sheet "Pool Party" (click here for printable PDF version) for each student
Class Periods: 1-2
1. Hand out the activity, "Pool Party."
Read the directions.
2. Discuss methods students might use to find
out how many penguins are in the pool.
(Counting each one is a possible strategy, but it would
take a long time.)
3. Allow students to complete the activity. Then have
them share their answers and the estimation strategies
they used with the class. One method would be to pick
a section of the pool within the floating ropes and count
the penguins inside, then multiply by the number of
sections to find an estimate for the total number of
penguins. Note that estimates can vary depending on
the section picked.
4. Students can check the reasonableness of
their answers by estimating again using
another sample. Compare the two
answers. Are they close?
Answers: Answers will vary. Students should be able to back up their estimates with an explanation
Cyberchase Episode: Snow Day To Be Exact
Hacker steals the powerful sunisphere from Solaria, causing the cyberworld's sunny vacation paradise to be covered in snow! In a fun-filled chase across the snowy terrain, the kids discover the power and speed of estimation in order to recover the glowing orb from Buzz and Delete before the temperature reaches zero and the site freezes over forever.
The Big Idea:
Sometimes using a close answer is good enough for the problem you are solving.
Cyberchase FOR REAL (Epilogue)
The discount ticket booth is about to close, and Harry is at the end of a slow-moving line. Will he get to buy his tickets? In the live-action segment of "Snow Day to Be Exact," Harry estimates how long it will take him to reach the booth. (He breaks the total distance into shorter equal parts, times how long it takes for him to move across one part, then multiplies the time by the total number of parts.)
How can you estimate how long it will take to move from one place to another?
After viewing, challenge students to think of other ways to use Harry's estimation strategy, such as figuring out how long it takes to wait in the cafeteria line or to read an entire textbook page.
Online games featuring similar math themes:
- Jellybean Jostle (Printable activity)
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