Math lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 45 minutes
Round four-digit numbers to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000
Number sense
CCSS 3.NBT.A.1CCSS 4.NBT.A.3England: Y4 Number and place value
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Round four-digit numbers to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000.
- 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: Round to the nearest 10 or 100; Value of a digit in four-digit numbers
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 (Round to the nearest 10 or 100; Value of a digit in four-digit numbers). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- In 5016, which place is the digit 1 in? (ones / tens / hundreds / thousands) → tensPrompt: Name the places from the right: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands.
- Which number rounds to 20 when rounded to the nearest 10? (31 / 30 / 24) → 24Prompt: Numbers from 15 up to 24 round to 20.
- In 9620, which place is the digit 2 in? (ones / tens / hundreds / thousands) → tensPrompt: Name the places from the right: ones, tens, hundreds, thousands.
Hook · 5 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Round four-digit numbers to the nearest 10, 100 or 1000. 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 4985 to the nearest thousand.
- Step 1: 4985 is between 4000 and 5000. The hundreds digit is 9.
- Step 2: 5000
- Answer: 5000
- 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 2363 to the nearest thousand. → 2000Prompt: Which two thousands is 2363 between?
- A school library has 6621 books. Kai says that is about 7000 to the nearest thousand. Which digit did Kai look at to decide? (the ones digit / the tens digit / the hundreds digit / the thousands digit) → the hundreds digitPrompt: You always look at the place just to the right of the one you round to.
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 6876 to the nearest thousand. → 7000Prompt: Which two thousands is 6876 between?
- A school library has 5229 books. Zoe says that is about 5000 to the nearest thousand. Which digit did Zoe look at to decide? (the ones digit / the tens digit / the hundreds digit / the thousands digit) → the hundreds digitPrompt: You always look at the place just to the right of the one you round to.
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: Round to the nearest 10 or 100.
- 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-3.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder