We had our first experiences with estimating yesterday in math. Estimating is hard but important! We estimated how long one of our classmates was in popsicle sticks. First graders need experience with accurate measuring in whole units (not in standard units like inches yet; we'll also be measuring things in Unifix cubes soon). First we each made an estimate, ranging from 9 popsicle sticks to 90 popsicle sticks. We began to measure the student and saw how far 5 popsicle sticks took us (5 was our benchmark to think about the remaining length we had to go), then many students revised their estimates. It turned out this student was 11 popsicle sticks long!
Then, in pairs students did a great job using this knowledge that a classmate was 11 sticks long to make good estimates of various objects in the room and then measure them-- the tables, chairs, rug, bookshelf, and each other. Here are some pictures of us focused on that work.
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