Peanuts and Buttons

A Maths Starter Of The Day

Jar of peanuts

1. Estimate the number of peanuts in this jar.

2. A box contains some buttons. Four people estimate the number of buttons in the box. Their estimates were 140, 136, 150 and 160.

One of the estimates was four out, one was twenty out, one was sixteen out and the other estimate was six out.

How many buttons were in the box?

Starter of The Day Transum Mathematics Topics


Topics: Starter | Estimating | Problem Solving

  • Transum,
  •  
  • This was an activity remembered from years ago (back in the day!) at family parties. Mother would have counted hundreds of buttons into a jar and a small prize was awarded at the party for the person who came up with the closest guess! Good estimation is also an important skill in Mathematics and estimating lengths, weights, time, angles and solutions to problems should be practised regularly. Pupils should make sensible estimates of a range of measures in relation to everyday situations. Click on the 'Estimating' link below for more ideas and activities.
  • Chris Boulden, Coatesville School.
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  • How many peanuts are in the jar?

    [Transum: The answers to the Starters, online exercise and puzzles are available lower down the page but only appear when signed in]
  • Aruna Yadav, China
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  • I would like to see the answer. Starter activities are great.

    [Transum: Glad you like the Starters Aruna. The answers are available lower down the page for subscribers]

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Answers

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Laptops In Lessons

Teacher, do your students have access to computers such as tablets, iPads or Laptops?  This page was really designed for projection on a whiteboard but if you really want the students to have access to it here is a concise URL for a version of this page without the comments:

Transum.org/go/?Start=September17

However it would be better to assign one of the student interactive activities below.

Laptops In Lessons

Here is the URL which will take them to an interactive estimating activity.

Transum.org/go/?to=Estimate

Student Activity

 

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