Lesson Plan
Shodor Education Foundation

Estimating With Fire

For Teachers 7th - 9th Standards
Watch the damage from a forest fire in this interactive simulation activity that challenges learners to estimate the burn area using different approaches. Learners are given a worksheet to track the different burn patterns and practice...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Estimating Profit from a Job

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Profit always seems to get everyone's attention. The same is true during a lesson plan on estimation. Learners use given information to estimate the cost of supplies for a painting job. They then develop a strategy for estimating...
Activity
Bowland

You Reckon?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Sometimes simple is just better. A set of activities teaches young mathematicians about using plausible estimation to solve problems. They break problems down to simpler problems, use rounding and estimation strategies, and consider...
Lesson Plan
Mathematics Assessment Project

Estimating Volume: The Money Munchers

For Teachers 7th Standards
Don't stuff money under your mattress. To find out why learners first complete a task determining how $24,000 in cash would affect the height of a mattress and whether this same amount would fit into a suitcase of given dimensions....
Lesson Plan
Google

Surveys and Estimating Large Quantities

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Looking for an estimation activity a bit more involved than the typical "guess the number of jellybeans in the jar" game? Here, learners use a picture to estimate the number of people at a large event, look for potential problems with...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Estimation Station: Why Estimating is Better than Guessing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Youngsters discover the difference between estimating and guessing. They estimate how many items are contained in a jar as they read a story. After the story, pupils discover the differences between estimating and guessing and create a...
Lesson Plan
Mathematics Assessment Project

Estimating Length Using Scientific Notation

For Teachers 8th Standards
Would you rather have a million dollars or 1 x 10^6 dollars? To find the answer to this question, class members first complete an assessment task converting numbers between decimal notation and scientific notation. They then take...
Lesson Plan
Mathematics Assessment Project

Sampling and Estimating: Counting Trees

For Teachers 7th Standards
Your task today: count all the trees on a tree farm. To complete the assignment, learners first estimate the number of trees on a tree farm using random sampling. To improve their own response they then evaluate provided...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Expert Estimators

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A rich and well-designed lesson on estimation is here for you. The lesson utilizes a video; ITV Series: The Eddie Files 'Estimation: Going to the Dogs,' along with many websites. Several fantastic learning activities are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery Jars

For Teachers K - 5th
This is a twist on the old "guess how many jellybeans" game. Using estimation and math skills, learners participate in a fun "mystery jars" activity, trying to make educated guesses at how many objects are in two jars. The basic activity...
Assessment
1
1
Balanced Assessment

Fermi Area

For Students 11th - 12th
Discover creative ways to use surface area formulas. In the assessment task, scholars apply estimation strategies to determine surface area in non-routine problems. They consider surface area of kitchen sponges, rock salt crystals, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estimating and Testing Steps

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students predict how many steps they think it will take them to get from the front of the room to the back. They record predictions on paper and then into database and then actually test by walking foot to foot to their destination...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Five Second Dash

For Teachers K - 6th
Learners estimate how far they can run, jump, or hop in five seconds, then check their prediction.  In this estimation lesson, student predict how far they can run, hop, or jump in five seconds and then try it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One Hundred Things

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Learners practice estimating by handling items in groups of ten. They visualize how much space 100 items, such as pennies, peas, or beans, will take up after holding 10 of them. Learners measure the difference in volume between 10...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estimation Zone

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students explore estimation. They estimate distance, weight, temperature and elapsed time. Students record their estimates and justify their estimations wtih a written response. After estimating, students take the actual measurements of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Estimation Station

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students challenge "common knowledge" against newly learned estimation strategies and put those strategies into use. They consider variables in estimating different groups of objects and practice skills of representing numbers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applied Science - Science and Math Lab

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Learners make a prediction. In this applied science lesson, students guess the number of items in a jar. Learners create a bar graph to show the predictions and the actual amounts.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery Jars

For Teachers K - 4th
Youngsters discover ways to estimate. They will use two jars with large and small items and estimate the number of items. Then record their estimate and explain why they answered the way they did. They try this experiment with different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It Takes Ten

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Review and use standard units of measure with your math class. They move from station to station estimating and measuring length, volume, weight, and area. At each station they estimate and measure, and then compute the difference...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Estimating Solutions to Word Problems

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore number sense by completing word problems in class. In this estimation lesson, 4th graders define terms such as sum, difference, estimate and best. Students complete estimating worksheets based on the concept of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Applying Estimation in real Life Situations

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore number sense by participating in role-playing activities. In this estimation lesson, 5th graders discuss reasons for estimating amounts in life and read the book Betcha. Students complete a real life estimation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Guess When You Can Estimate

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
They apply various strategies in their estimations. They analyze the differences between guessing and estimating. They estimate the number of beans and jellybeans in egg cartons and jars respectively.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measurement Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students review estimation, measurement, fractions, decimals while familiarizing themselves with a new classroom at the beginning of the year.
Activity
Illustrative Mathematics

Traffic Jam

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
How many cars would be involved in a traffic jam 12 miles long? A slightly ambiguous writing prompt gives learners the opportunity to practice making reasonable assumptions to tackle a real-life problem. Few details are given, so they...