The lesson plan focuses on teaching fourth grade students how to estimate sums and differences of whole numbers by refining their estimates to be closer to or between actual amounts. Students will practice estimation skills by looking at sale prices in newspapers and determining estimated totals. An assessment would have students use estimation to plan a class party by gathering costs, determining budgets, and comparing estimated costs to actual costs.

1. Math Lesson Plan — Fourth Grade
Topic:Computation and Estimation
SOL:4.5 The student will estimate whole-number sums and differences and
describe the method of estimation. Students will refine estimates, using
terms such as closer to, between, and a little more than.
Lesson Objective: The students will learn how to estimate amounts in
order to get as close as possible to a whole, as well as conceptualize
numbers, adding, and subtracting.
Teacher:
N/A
Student:
Paper and pencils
Sales flyers from local newspapers
Calculators
Ideal layout of the classroom for this lesson: Students will work in
pairs, so either have the students more their desks together in order to best
talk about the sale fliers with a partner, or else move to have the pairs
sitting close to one another.
Warm-up to lesson: Before you begin this lesson you could discuss the
importance of “mental math” with your students as well as
adding/subtracting decimals.
Reflection:
1. Have the students describe their estimation methods in writing, and then
hold a class discussion on this topic.
a. Why are estimation skills important? Does your mom/dad carry a
calculator?
2. Did students use compatible numbers that are easy to add and subtract
mentally?

2. a. For example, one estimation strategy may have been to replace the
actual
numbers with compatible numbers, e.g., 52 + 74 becomes 50 + 75.
b. The estimated sum is very close to the actual sum. (125 versus
126)
Sample Assessment:
Have students use estimation skills to plan an end-of-the-year party for the
class. Have them gather prices for party foods and decorations, determine
how much money will be available, and estimate whether the money will
cover the expenses. Then have them compute the actual cost and compare
their estimate with the actual cost. Inspiration for the activity/lesson idea
was pulled from:
VDO: Mathematics Standards of Learning Resources website:
www.mathmethodfourthgrade.com