This Post Has Lots of Tips, Lessons, and Resources to Help YOU Teach How to Estimate Differences!

A quick way to estimate the difference of two numbers is to round each number and then subtract the rounded numbers. {See this previous post for help on rounding.} More often than naught, this won't be the exact answer but it may be close enough for many purposes.
If you are teaching Rounding to Estimate the Difference, this blog post has got some great lessons, tips, resources and freebies for YOU! 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Rounding to Estimate Differences.
If you are teaching Estimate Differences, I've got some great lessons, tips, resources and freebies for YOU!

Students need this mental math not only for future math classes and math procedures, but it is also an excellent life skill. Do you have enough money for all your groceries? Did the cashier give you the right amount of change back? When you relate math to MONEY, even eight year old ears perk up! Problem solving extends to all aspects of their world.

This Post Has Lots of Tips, Lessons, and Resources to Help YOU Teach How to Estimate Differences!

Once your students have a strong foundation of rounding, you can move on to estimating the difference. Estimation is a powerful mathematical mental tool to be used both in solving problems and in checking the answer to see if it is reasonable.

Tips to introduce your lesson...  
How to estimate differences by rounding:
  • Round each number in the problem.
  • Subtract the rounded numbers together, mental math is even better.
More reasons WHY you would use rounding to estimate differences:
  • Check to see if you have about enough money to pay for your meal at restaurant before you order. Lobster or hamburger?
  • Get a ball park idea to double check your answer to a problem. Is 300 an intelligent answer for 992 - 682?
Just for you, my Bloggie-Teacher-Friends, I've created 5 problems that you can use to teach and/or review "Estimate Differences" with your class. You can highlight them and print them or project them on your board, white board, or smart board to complete as a whole class or independent seat work.

Estimate the Difference by Rounding
1. Heather's Cupcake Shop sold a total of 624 cupcakes today, 391 of those did not have sprinkles. How many cupcakes were sold with sprinkles?

{Why is this important? Heather needs to know approximately how many cupcakes to make tomorrow with and without sprinkles and how many containers of sprinkles to buy each week.}

2. There are 621 apples in the store, 494 apples were sold by the end of the day. How many apples were left to be available for sale tomorrow?

{Why is this important? If the store sells close to 500 apples a day, they need to know approximately how many apple buy and stock tomorrow NOT INCLUDING the amount of apples still at the store and are available to sale. Too many apples and they might rot, too few apples and the store doesn't make as much money as possible.}

3. Andrew's school sold 887 chocolate bars for a school fundraiser. If he won the award for the most chocolate bars sold at 398 bars, how many chocolate bars did the rest of the school sell?

4. Billie is reading a book that has 322 pages and she has already read 99 pages, how many pages does she have left to read?

5. Aniyah's Paint Company used a total of 775 gallons of pink and blue paint this year. If 511 gallons of blue paint were used, how many gallons of pink paint were used?

Answers
1. 200 cupcakes
2. 100 apples
3. 500 chocolate bars
4. 200 pages
5. 300 gallons

Once you're done with your lesson, I have a variety of resources to help with your spiral review, use them in your math centers, small group lessons, seat work, partner work, the possibilities are endless! 

Estimate Differences
Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!

Finding class time for your students to review the math skills you have taught them can be very challenging. This bundle has so many items for your small group time, math center time, homework, and seatwork, that you will LOVE it and use it year after year!

My students LOVED having Color By Numbers, Center Games and Task Cards at our Math Centers and your students will too! You can dedicate one of your math centers (math workstations) as a math skill only math center. By changing out the skill each day, each week, or each month, your students already know the directions for using that math center. Your math center can be placed in a folder with the included folder cover (See my PREVIEW PICTURES) and the student can take the center back to their seat if classroom space is limited. Your students will enjoy the freedom of center games and task cards while learning and reviewing important skills at the same time! This 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Center Games, Color By Number, and Task Cards Bundle is also perfect for assessment grades for 3rd Grade Math!

These Estimate Differences Center Games, Color By Number, and Task Cards Bundle also include the answer keys. You can laminate the answer keys for the task cards and leave at the center to allow it to be student led, self-checking sheets. In small group lessons, you can give each student three to four task cards and they can help each other and review the Estimate Differences Skill by checking the answers that their partner or neighbor answered, keeping everyone involved! Keep your students engaged, alert and on their toes with this one little, cute Estimate Differences Resource!

Place the Color By Number Answer Keys at your center for a Student Self-Checking Sheet too! OR place it in a folder in a different location that they may go check once they show you, or a classroom helper, the completed worksheet.

Once your students are used to the expectations of using center games and task cards, your math skills math center can run all year with different skills from my TpT Store.

This 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Center Games, Color By Number, and Task Cards Bundle Contains the Following Resources:

This 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Resource Bundle is also available in the following larger bundle:

*** Terrific Teacher Feedback! ***
  • Michelle Dallmann (TpT Seller) said, "Very helpful in our unit, thanks!"
  • Blizzards Belugas and Bears (TpT Seller) said, "Great for math workstations!"

This Estimate Differences Bundle Includes:
Task Cards Includes:
Page One - A cover page stating "Estimate Differences" that can be used for a cover sheet for your file folder in your files. It can also be a folder cover for your students, give them a file folder with this cover and they can keep all the student sheets in the file folder to work on during math centers, morning work, or as a fast finisher activity. You can take a large piece of construction paper, 12 inches X 18 inches, fold it in half and use that as a "File Folder" to hold your students' work.

Page Two - A "Task Cards" poster. Use it on a folder or hang it up in your Task Cards math center, perfect to stay there all year!

Pages Three to Eleven - 36 Task Cards in Color
→ → 18 Task Cards to Estimate to Tens Only
→ → 18 Task Cards Estimate to Hundreds Only

Page Twelve - 1 Recording Sheet

Page Thirteen - 1 Answer Key Sheet - Perfect for a Student Self-Checking Sheet

Page Fourteen - A black and white cover page stating "Estimate Differences" that can be used for a cover sheet for your file folder in your files. It can also be a folder cover for your students, give them a file folder with this cover and they can keep all the student sheets in the file folder to work on during math centers, morning work, or as a fast finisher activity. You can take a large piece of construction paper, 12 inches X 18 inches, fold it in half and use that as a "File Folder" to hold your students' work. Print it on colored paper to POP!

Page Fifteen - A black and white "Task Cards" poster. Use it on a folder or hang it up in your Task Cards math center, perfect to stay there all year! Print it on colored paper to POP!

Pages Sixteen to Twenty-Four - 36 Task Cards in Black and White Blackline Form
→ → 18 Task Cards to Estimate to Tens Only
→ → 18 Task Cards Estimate to Hundreds Only

Pages Twenty-Five to Thirty-Six -
NEW FREE BONUS FILE
A Twelve Page Letter From Me! This letter includes many ways to use Center Games, Task Cards, and Color By Number in your classroom!
Please Note:
This letter is in all of the resources in this bundle, but it is NOT included in the TpT description of actual page numbers. This letter is a FREE bonus for my TpT followers! Thank you, Fern :)

Color By Number Includes:
>> A newly revised Cover Sheet to turn these worksheets into a work packet. Excellent for Fast Finishers, Staggered Arrival Morning Work, or to send home for a Distance Learning booklet. See the preview pictures.

>> A newly revised Common Core page, to use as a learning focus board poster or to include in a work packet. Excellent for Fast Finishers, Staggered Arrival Morning Work, or to send home for a Distance Learning booklet. See the preview pictures.

>> SIX Total Pages of Student Work
  1. This adorable Estimate Differences Color By Number page has an adorable little boy with his tablet and his headset just ready to start the day and learn some great things! This page is part of the new updates to this resource, with new, cute, crisp clip art.
  1. This adorable Estimate Differences Color By Number page has a cute rainbow and clouds in a large open sky, that your students will love. This page is part of the new updates to this resource, with new, cute, crisp clip art.
  1. This adorable Estimate Differences Color By Number page has a sweet stack of books with an apple on top!
  1. This adorable Estimate Differences Color By Number page has a little girl in the corner, for your students to color when they are done. It has 18 problems and the directions state, Estimate, then find the difference. All of the problems are 2-digit by 2-digit subtraction only.
  1. This adorable Estimate Differences Color By Number page has a little girl in the corner, for your students to color when they are done. It has 18 problems and the directions state, Estimate, then find the difference. All of the problems are 3-digit by 3-digit subtraction only.
  1. This adorable Estimate Differences Color By Number page has an adorable little boy with an over sized pencil and he is happy and ready to start his day! This page is part of the older resource, but many of my teacher buyers loved this page so much, with many more math problems, that I left it in the resource as an added FREE bonus.
>> SIX Matching Pages of Answer Keys Too!

>> NEW FREE BONUS FILE
A Twelve Page Letter From Me! This letter includes many ways to use Center Games, Task Cards, and Color By Number in your classroom!
Please Note:
This letter is in all of the resources in this bundle, but it is NOT included in the TpT description of actual page numbers. This letter is a FREE bonus for my TpT followers! Thank you, Fern :)

Center Games Includes:
Page One - A cover page stating "Estimate Differences" that can be used for a cover sheet for your file folder in your files. It can also be a math center folder cover for your students, by putting this math center in a folder with the folder cover, your students can take it back to their desk if your classroom space is limited. You can also use the cover page as a poster, placing it on the wall over your math center.

Page Two - Twelve center game cards with cute clip art and the math problems.

Page Three - Twelve center game cards with cute clip art and the answers.

Page Four - A Student Directions page, perfect to place in the center folder or staple up above the math center on the wall. Quick Teacher Directions are located on the bottom of this page.
Page Five - A cute, clip art matching "Math Center" sign, place on the wall over your math center, and if you like, it can stay up all year!

Pages Six to Ten are black and white to save you ink and they are JUST PERFECT for a Math Make and Take Night with you students and parents. Print them on colored paper for an extra fun POP!

Page Six is a Black and White Copy for this page - Page One - A cover page stating "Estimate Differences" that can be used for a cover sheet for your file folder in your files. It can also be a math center folder cover for your students, by putting this math center in a folder with the folder cover, your students can take it back to their desk if your classroom space is limited. You can also use the cover page as a poster, placing it on the wall over your math center.

Page Seven is a Black and White Copy for this page - Page Two - Twelve center game cards with cute clip art and the math problems.

Page Eight is a Black and White Copy for this page - Page Three - Twelve center game cards with cute clip art and the answers.

Page Nine Black and White Copy for this page - Page Four - A Student Directions page, perfect to place in the center folder or staple up above the math center on the wall. Quick Teacher Directions are located on the bottom of this page.

Page Ten Black and White Copy for this page - Page Five - A cute, clip art matching "Math Center" sign, place on the wall over your math center, and if you like, it can stay up all year! Print this on color paper to save ink, but still add some joy to your classroom!

Pages Eleven to Twenty-Two - NEW FREE BONUS FILE
A Twelve Page Letter From Me! This letter includes many ways to use Center Games, Task Cards, and Color By Number in your classroom!
Please Note:
This letter is NOT included in the TpT description of actual page numbers and it IS INCLUDED in all three resources in this bundle. This letter is a FREE bonus for my TpT followers! Thank you, Fern :)

There are many ways to use this Estimate Differences Math Center Games Resource, here are a few of my favorite ways:
  • Use one page as a game board, cut the other page. Place all those cards face down. Have the students turn over one card at a time, solve and place face up on the board. If they are incorrect, the card returns to the bottom of the pile. The winner is the student who places the final card. OR, for a "no winner" version, the goal is for the students to solve the cards independently, but to completely cover the board together. This version can ALSO be played two ways. One way is with the answer page as the game board, another way is with the math problem page as the game board instead.
  • You can also play this game with cutting all the cards and matching up the problems with the solutions.
  • For movement, place the problem cards around the room and the student(s) have to solve the math problem and leave the correct answer card at that location. Have a second student check the answers to extend the game.
  • Mix all the cards together, with two students, deal 5 cards to each student and then place the remaining cards face down. Use as a Go Fish card game!
  • Lay all the cards upside down on the floor and use as a Concentration (some call it Memory) Game!

Weekly Lesson Plan Ideas for the Color By Numbers
Monday - Use pages 6 & 7, printed back to back, as an Estimate Differences pre-assessment. Plan your small groups for the week around the data from this and your other observations. During math rotations, use page 5, the adorable school books and with and apple on top solve and color page to review Estimate Differences 2-digit by 2-digit subtraction math problems during your student seat work time. You can also use the provided cover page, the common core page, and the solve and color pages to create an in class math workbook!

Tuesday - Use page 6, the 18 Estimate Differences 2-digit by 2-digit subtraction math problems as morning work. Depending on the level of your boys and girls, they can complete the page alone, in pairs, or in a group. You can have the answer key on the board so that they are copying the correct answers as a very basic, low math level activity. OR Once the boys and girls are done, you, or a student, can project the answer key, covering up the problems and call them out one at a time, while revealing the answer. During math rotations, use page 3, the cute, cute, cute little boy with his iPad and headset solve and color page to review Estimate Differences 3-digit by 3-digit subtraction math problems during your student seat work time.

Wednesday - Use page 7, the 18 Estimate Differences 3-digit by 3-digit subtraction math problems as morning work. Depending on the level of your boys and girls, they can complete the page alone, in pairs, or in a group. You can have the answer key on the board so that they are copying the correct answers as a very basic, low math level activity. OR Once the boys and girls are done, you, or a student, can project the answer key, covering up the problems and call them out one at a time, while revealing the answer. During math rotations, use page 4, the funky rainbow and clouds solve and color page to review Estimate Differences 3-digit by 3-digit subtraction math problems during your student seat work time.

Thursday - During morning work, classwork, small group instruction, or seat work, have the students complete pages 6 & 7 copied front to back again, the Estimate Differences page as a review, yes, it is the exact same problems, which is why it is an excellent review. You can have the students self-correct the page or peer sharing to review and come to a final answer together, all sorts of review possibilities.
OR PLAN B - Just give page 6, (the easier page) Estimate Differences 2-digit by 2-digit 18 subtraction math problems page as a final assessment.

Friday - Use pages 6 & 7 copied front to back again, the Estimate Differences pages as a final assessment.
OR PLAN B - Today give page 6, (the harder page) Estimate Differences 3-digit by 3-digit 18 subtraction math problems page as a final assessment.

Weekly Homework - You can use any and all of these pages as your weekly homework review, they are completely student self-directed so you will not have any problems or concerns with parents that are unable to help their children with this assignment. Use the cover page and the common core page to bind them all together into a homework workbook! Win-Win for everyone!

This 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Resource Bundle is also PERFECT for...
• Remediation and RTI groups
• Substitute teacher folders
• Scoot and Read the Room games
• Concentration
• Match Game
• Go Fish
• Assessments
• Fine motor skills work
• Morning work
• Emergency sub tubs
• Homework packets
• Math Night with Parents
• Math Centers Assignments
• Early morning arrival students
• After school tutoring
• Before school tutoring
• Small Group Work
• Seat Work
• Substitute Teacher Days
• Homework
• Morning Work Tubs
• Independent Practice
• Early Finishers
• Tutoring
• Indoor Recess
• Clip Board Time Worksheet
• Morning Work Worksheet
• And so much more!

*** Excellent for a substitute teacher folder, or sub tub! ***

Common Core State Standards
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.1
Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

A Quick Recap of What's Included for You in this 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Center Games, Color By Number, and Task Cards Bundle Resource:
Task Cards
* 2 Estimate Differences folder covers and/or center cover and/or workbook cover {1 in color and 1 in black and white}
* 2 Estimate Differences Task Cards posters for your math center {1 in color and 1 in black and white}
* 36 Estimate Differences Task Cards in Color {→ → 18 Task Cards to Estimate to Tens Only and → → 18 Task Cards Estimate to Hundreds Only}
* 1 Recording Sheet
* 1 Answer Key Sheet - Perfect for a Student Self-Checking Sheet
* 36 Estimate Differences Task Cards in Black and White {→ → 18 Task Cards to Estimate to Tens Only and → → 18 Task Cards Estimate to Hundreds Only}
Color By Number
* An Estimate Differences Cover Page with multiple uses.
* A Common Core Page with multiple uses.
* Six pages of 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Color By Number worksheets.
* Six answer key pages to match the student pages for 3rd Grade Math Estimate Differences Color By Number worksheets.
Center Games
* 12 Estimate Differences Center Game Cards in color
* 12 Estimate Differences Center Game Cards in black and white
* 1 Estimate Differences cover / math center sign in color
* 1 Estimate Differences cover / math center sign in black and white
* 1 Estimate Differences student directions in color
* 1 Estimate Differences student directions in black and white
* 1 Estimate Differences math center sign in color
* 1 Estimate Differences math center sign in black and white
Bundle
A Twelve Page Letter From Me! This letter includes many ways to use Center Games, Task Cards, and Color By Numbers in your classroom!
PLEASE NOTE:
This letter is NOT included in the TpT description of actual page numbers and it IS INCLUDED in all of the resources in this bundle. This letter is a FREE bonus for my TpT followers! Thank you, Fern :)


Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!
Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!
Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!
Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!
Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!

Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!
Answer Keys Included!

Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!

Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!

Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!

Click Here to Download 3rd Grade Go Math 1.8 Estimate Differences Bundle Today for Your Classroom!
Multiple Ways to Play!
Some inexpensive, quick and easy to prep task cards!

BUNDLES FOR 3RD GRADE CHAPTER ONE!

Free Color By Numbers for 1.8 Rounding to Estimate Difference



ARE YOU GETTING READY TO START TEACHING ROUNDING TO ESTIMATE DIFFERENCES? first appeared on Fern Smith's Classroom Ideas.

See you tomorrow,

No comments

Back to Top