Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

Math lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 30 minutes

Make a sensible estimate

Number sense

CCSS 1.NBT.A.1England: Y2 Number and place value

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Make a sensible estimate.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Count to 100 by ones and tens

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Count to 100 by ones and tens). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Count by tens. What is missing? 50, 60, __, 80, 90 → 70Prompt: Each number is 10 more than the one before.
  2. Count by tens. What is missing? 60, 70, 80, __, 100 → 90Prompt: Each number is 10 more than the one before.
  3. Count by tens. What is missing? 50, __, 70, 80, 90 → 60Prompt: Each number is 10 more than the one before.

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
  • Share the objective: Make a sensible estimate. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Without counting one by one, which is the best estimate for the number of hearts? ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
  • Step 1: There are 52, which is close to 50.
  • Step 2: About 50.
  • Answer: about 50
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Without counting one by one, which is the best estimate for the number of squares? ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ (about 50 / about 20 / about 100 / about 5) → about 50Prompt: Each full line has 10.
  2. Which is the most sensible estimate for the number of steps to walk across a classroom? (100 / 1000 / 1 / 10) → 10Prompt: Picture it in your head.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which is the most sensible estimate for the number of children in a class? (2 / 250 / 900 / 25) → 25Prompt: Picture it in your head.
  2. Without counting one by one, which is the best estimate for the number of triangles? ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ (about 10 / about 100 / about 20 / about 5) → about 20Prompt: Each full line has 10.

Watch out for

  • Reading 1,045 as one thousand four hundred five: point to each place and say its value.
  • Thinking a longer number is always bigger, even with decimals (0.45 vs 0.5).

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Count to 100 by ones and tens.
  • Use concrete materials: place value chart.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-1.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

Make a sensible estimate

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Without counting one by one, which is the best estimate for the number of triangles? â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–²

    • A. about 10
    • B. about 50
    • C. about 100
    • D. about 5

  2. Question 2

    Which is the most sensible estimate for the number of pages in a picture book?

    • A. 30
    • B. 300
    • C. 1000
    • D. 3

  3. Question 3

    Without counting one by one, which is the best estimate for the number of hearts? ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

    • A. about 20
    • B. about 10
    • C. about 5
    • D. about 100

  4. Question 4

    Which is the most sensible estimate for the number of apples in a small bag?

    • A. 6
    • B. 1
    • C. 60
    • D. 600

  5. Question 5

    Without counting one by one, which is the best estimate for the number of triangles? â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–² â–²

    • A. about 10
    • B. about 100
    • C. about 20
    • D. about 50

  6. Question 6

    Which is the most sensible estimate for the number of seats on a school bus?

    • A. 50
    • B. 5000
    • C. 500
    • D. 5

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Make a sensible estimate

  1. 1. A. about 10

  2. 2. A. 30

  3. 3. A. about 20

  4. 4. A. 6

  5. 5. C. about 20

  6. 6. A. 50