'Rounding and estimating' tutor notes

This module can be used as a starting point for: learning rounding and using rounding to make estimates.

Please let us know what you think of the factsheets, worksheets, and quiz at skillswise.feedback@bbc.co.uk

The aim of the rounding module is to remind learners that rounding is a way of approximating values of figures and to encourage them to practise rounding figures to ten, a hundred and a thousand, and using this to make estimates.

How does this tie in with the new curriculums?

• England N1/L1.8 - Approximate by rounding.
  N1/L1.9 - Estimate answers to calculations.
• Wales
  As England.
• Northern Ireland
  As England.
• Scotland
  See www.aloscotland.com for details of the Scottish curriculum.

In the Skillswise module you'll find:

Rounding and estimating factsheets
An introduction to rounding and estimating, with examples, on five 'print-out-and-keep' sheets.

• Factsheet 1 - What is rounding?
• Factsheet 2 - Rules for rounding.
• Factsheet 3 - Rounding to ten, a hundred and a thousand.
• Factsheet 4 - Estimating calculations using rounding
• Factsheet 5 - Key Words.

Rounding quiz
The learner can choose their level. Level 1 deals with rounding to ten, level 2 deals with rounding to a hundred and level 3 deals with rounding to a thousand.
The learner gets feedback when they complete each level on the quiz, and can print a certificate if they score above 50%.

Rounding worksheets
These are extra, printable resources to carry on the work learners have done online. There are three rounding worksheets - with extra practise for rounding to ten, a hundred and a thousand.

• Worksheet 1 - Rounding to 10.
• Worksheet 2 - Rounding to 100.
• Worksheet 3 - Rounding to 1000.

Technical help:

To get the most out of this topic area you need the following 'plug-ins':

• Flash
  The game in this topic section uses Flash. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. You can follow the BBC WebWise instructions to download it to your machine.
  Find out more.

If you don't have Flash the same learning points are covered in the quiz and in the worksheets and factsheets.
If you are new to the web, why not try the BBC WebWise online course, Becoming WebWise? It's free, you can do it in your own time from any computer and it will take you through everything you need to know to use the web successfully in your teaching.
Get WebWise.

You can find out more about the technical requirements for Skillswise in our Help - Technical Information section.

Taking it further:

Here's a suggestion of another place on the BBC website you might find useful resources that you can adapt for teaching rounding.

• KS3 Bitesize revision - Rounding Off and Approximation
  Scroll down to Number for the Rounding Off and Approximation printable worksheet.
• Mathsfile KS2 Rounding game
  In this game you have to pick the answers to rounding questions from a grid of possible choices. Your cursor is a long, pointy cartoon arm, while a cartoon Pythagoras and Hypatia look on.
  You'll need the Shockwave plugin to play this game. This is free to download and should only take a few minutes. (If you have a recent version of the Flash plugin this may be enough to play the game.) You can get Shockwave from the Macromedia website:
  Shockwave download page at Macromedia website.

Please note that the BBC is not responsible for the content of other websites.

Don't forget to visit Lesson plans and Teaching inspirations for more ideas for teaching rounding and estimating.

Do you know of any great online resources for practising rounding and estimating? Tell us about them!