Whole

SNIF 38.0

SPUT 599.2

GYMBLE 2.96

CHORTLE 4.29

MIMSY 48.10

DOSH 0.75

BLOP 52.60

PLECK 1.4999

LAMBTON 7.19

TUCKLE-TIK 33.60

Round each of the numbers on the signs to the nearest whole number then add all of your answers together.

Rounding to the nearest whole number

A Mathematics Lesson Starter Of The Day


Topics: Starter | Approximation | Arithmetic | Rounding

  • Transum,
  •  
  • Pupils should be very familiar with the concept of rounding as they begin to study topics that provide ample opportunity to practice this skill. Mensuration of a circle, trigonometry and statistics spring to mind as well as topics in Science and Geography. When working on multi-step solutions to problems they should be shown the issues of rounding too early. Sometimes known as premature approximation, this practice will introduce unnecessary errors in the final answer.
  • Cosette, St. Gregs
  •  
  • This was a very fantastic review, I loved it especially the names of the sign! “Blop”.

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Answers

Snif 38

Sput 599

Gymble 3

Chortle 4

Mimsy 48

Dosh 1

Blop 53

Pleck 1

Lambton 7

Tuckle-tik 34

788

Would you have got the same answer if you had added all of the original numbers together then rounded off the answer?

Note to teacher: Doing this activity once with a class helps students develop strategies. It is only when they do this activity a second time that they will have the opportunity to practise those strategies. That is when the learning is consolidated. Click the button above to regenerate another version of this starter from random numbers.



Extension

Do you know how to round negative numbers? If values exactly half way between get rounded up should -37.25 be rounded to -37.2 or -37.3? Does ‘rounded up’ mean rounded to the larger value or the value furthest away from zero?

A system of rounding commonly used in bookkeeping and some computing procedures is called ‘round half to even’. In this system half way values are rounded either up or down in order to make the last digit an even number.

So, for example, 37.25 becomes 37.2, 37.15 also becomes 37.2 and −37.25 becomes −37.2 without any doubt.

This method of rounding is also useful when rounding values in large data sets as it evens out the rounding ups and rounding downs for the half way values.



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=October20

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 a related student activity.

Transum.org/go/?to=roundingdp

Student Activity

 

Curriculum Reference

See the National Curriculum page for links to related online activities and resources.


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