Math lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes
Round whole numbers to any degree of accuracy
Number sense
CCSS 4.NBT.A.3England: Y6 Number and place value
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Round whole numbers to any degree of accuracy.
- 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: Rounding: greatest and least possible numbers; Place value to ten million
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 · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Rounding: greatest and least possible numbers; Place value to ten million). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- A number rounds to 570 000 to the nearest 10 000. What is the greatest whole number it could be? → 574999Prompt: Find the halfway points 565 000 and 575 000.
- What is the value of the digit 1 in 8 932 041? → 1Prompt: The groups of three from the right are ones, thousands, millions.
- Round 119 957 to the nearest ten. → 119960Prompt: Underline the digit in the place you are rounding to.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Round whole numbers to any degree of accuracy. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Round 9 313 527 to the nearest ten thousand.
- Step 1: 9 310 000
- Answer: 9310000
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Round 6 093 001 to the nearest million. → 6000000Prompt: Find the digit in the place you are rounding to.
- A film was watched 1 920 786 times online. Zara rounds this to the nearest million. What number does Zara get? → 2000000Prompt: Which two whole millions is it between?
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Round 2 247 710 to the nearest thousand. → 2248000Prompt: Find the digit in the place you are rounding to.
- A film was watched 3 886 539 times online. Priya rounds this to the nearest million. What number does Priya get? → 4000000Prompt: Which two whole millions is it between?
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: Rounding: greatest and least possible numbers.
- 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-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder