Estimation

View
- Reading Rainbow
- "How Much is a Million"
Illustrations and text from this feature book help readers visualize how much a million, a billion and a trillion really are. LeVar explores ways of counting large numbers as he talks to people who share grouping and estimating techniques. In a visit to the Crayola Crayon Factory, workers show how crayons are made and talk about the large number of crayons they handle in their jobs. Then on to Giants Stadium where vendors and stadium employees use estimation to prepare for game day. - Cyberchase
- "Snow Day to be Exact"
Hacker steals the powerful sunisphere from Solaria, causing the cyberworld's sunny vacation paradise to be covered in snow! In a fun-filled chase across the snowy terrain, the kids discover the power and speed of estimation in order to recover the glowing orb from Buzz and Delete before the temperature reaches zero and the site freezes over forever.
Do in Class
- Arthur: How Much Will It Cost? - Strengthen estimation and computation skills as students develop a budget and figure costs for party supplies.
- Arthur: Pencil Measurement - Explore estimation and measurement with pencils, markers and crayons.
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Cyberchase: Count the Beats - Use estimation to figure out how many times students' hearts will beat in a year.
- Cyberchase: Jellybean Jostle - Practice estimation by guessing how many jelly beans are on a grid.
- Cyberchase: Pool Party - Use estimation to count a group of penguins.
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George Shrinks: Just the Size of George - Have students estimate which objects in the room are the same size as George. (Section 2)
- ZOOM: Boats Afloat - Can you estimate how many pennies an aluminum foil boat can hold?
- ZOOM: Pennies and Water - Estimate how much liquid the surface of a penny can hold.
- ZOOM: Shower Estimation - Use a formula to estimate how many gallons of water you use in the shower. Submit your results to ZOOM.
Play Online
- Curious George: How Tall? - Estimate measurements using non-standard units in this self-leveling online interactive game
- Cyberchase: Glowla's Estimation Contraption - Practice ball park estimation in this game where students have 60 seconds to estimate the sum of a group of numbers.
Read
- The Jelly Bean Fun Book
By Karen Capucilli
Published February 2001 by Little Simon
This picture book for children 4-8 is a collection of activities in math, observation, puzzle solving, shape recognition, mazes, and estimation. Every activity is an arrangement of candy, mostly jelly beans but other familiar penny candy too. An appendix supplies the answers and additional jelly bean super-challenges. Don't try to use this book on an empty stomach.
*As most PBS children's programs offer one year extended taping rights for teachers, please feel free to tape them now and save them for use in your classroom during the school year.