Rounding Railroad

Rounding Railroad

Ages 6–8 · 6 minutes · Math

Choo! Choo! Hop on the Rounding Railroad to estimate and round larger numbers!

In this rounding and estimation lesson, students will learn and practice:

- Rounding three-digit numbers to the nearest ten
- Estimating quantities of unknown items in the tens and hundreds
- Efficiency of using estimates for large groups of items
- Using rounding tables and number lines

Part of

Standards alignment

Common Core State Standards

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Alabama

  • MA19.3.10 — Identify the nearest 10 or 100 when rounding whole numbers, using place value understanding.

Alaska

  • 3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Arizona

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 3.OA.D.10 — When solving problems, assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

Arkansas

  • 2.NPV.2 — Identify the value of hundreds, tens, and ones place in a three-digit number.
  • 3.NPV.1 — Round four-digit whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100, using place value understanding.

California

  • 2.NBT.7.1 — Use estimation strategies to make reasonable estimates in problem solving.
  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Colorado

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 4.NBT.A.3 — Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.

Connecticut

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Delaware

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Florida

  • MA.3.NSO.1.4 — Round whole numbers from 0 to 1,000 to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • MA.2.AR.3.2 — Use repeated addition to find the total number of objects in a collection of equal groups. Represent the total number of objects using rectangular arrays and equations.
  • MA.2.NSO.1.3 — Plot, order and compare whole numbers up to 1,000.

Georgia

  • 3.NR.1.3 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers within up to 1000 to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 3.NR.1 — Use place value reasoning to represent, read, write, and compare numerical values up to 10,000 and round whole numbers up to 1,000.
  • 3.MP.5 — Use appropriate tools strategically.

Hawaii

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Idaho

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Round a whole number to the tens or hundreds place, using place value understanding or a visual representation.
  • 3.MP.5 — Use appropriate tools strategically.

Illinois

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Indiana

  • 3.NS.6 — Use place value understanding to round two- and three-digit whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • PS.8 — Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Iowa

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 within the range of 0–1,000. For example, rounding 643 to the nearest 10 would be 640; to the nearest 100 would be 600.
  • SMP2 — Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
  • SMP7 — Look for and make use of structure.

Kansas

  • 3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Kentucky

  • KY.3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Louisiana

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Maine

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Maryland

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Massachusetts

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Michigan

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Minnesota

  • 2.1.1.4 — Round numbers up to the nearest 10 and 100 and round numbers down to the nearest 10 and 100. For example: If there are 17 students in the class and granola bars come 10 to a box, you need to buy 20 bars (2 boxes) in order to have enough bars for everyone.
  • 3.1.1.4 — Round numbers to the nearest 10,000, 1000, 100 and 10. Round up and round down to estimate sums and differences. For example: 8726 rounded to the nearest 1000 is 9000, rounded to the nearest 100 is 8700, and rounded to the nearest 10 is 8730. Another example: 473 – 291 is between 400 – 300 and 500 – 200, or between 100 and 300.
  • 2.1.1.5 — Compare and order whole numbers up to 1000.

Mississippi

  • 3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Missouri

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 3.RA.D.10 — Interpret the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

Montana

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Nebraska

  • 2.N.1.a — Without counting, recognize and verbally label structured arrangements for briefly shown collections using groups, multiplicative thinking, and place value (e.g.,” I saw 48.” “How did you know?” “I saw 4 groups of 10 and 2 groups of 4 is 8...4 tens and 8 ones...48”).
  • 2.N.1 — Subitizing: Students will quantify briefly shown collections and verbally label the arrangements without counting.
  • 3.N.1 — Numeric Relationships: Students will demonstrate and represent multi-digit numbers using place value understanding.
  • 3.N.1.b — Represent and justify comparisons of whole numbers up to 10,000 using number lines and reasoning strategies.

Nevada

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

New Hampshire

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

New Jersey

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

New Mexico

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

New York

  • NY-3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • NY-3.OA.8.b — Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies including rounding.

North Carolina

  • NC.2.NBT.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones. • Unitize by making a hundred from a collection of ten tens. • Demonstrate that the numbers 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine hundreds, with 0 tens and 0 ones. • Compose and decompose numbers using various groupings of hundreds, tens, and ones.

North Dakota

  • 3.NO.NBT.2 — Apply place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Ohio

  • 3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Oklahoma

  • 2.N.1.6 — Use place value understanding to round numbers to the nearest ten and nearest hundred (up to 1,000). Recognize when to round in real-world situations.
  • 2.N.1.1 — Read, write, discuss, and represent whole numbers up to 1,000. Representations should include, but are not limited to, numerals, words, pictures, tally marks, number lines, and manipulatives.

Oregon

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers within 1000 to the nearest 10 or 100.

Pennsylvania

  • CC.2.1.3.B.1 — Apply place-value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.
  • Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
  • CC.2.1.2.B.1 — Use place-value concepts to represent amounts of tens and ones and to compare three digit numbers.

Rhode Island

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

South Carolina

  • 3.NSBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 3.PS.6a — Express numerical answers with the degree of precision appropriate for the context of a situation.

South Dakota

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • MP8 — Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Tennessee

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 using understanding of place value and use a number line to explain how the number was rounded.

Texas

  • 3.2C — represent a number on a number line as being between two consecutive multiples of 10; 100; 1,000; or 10,000 and use words to describe relative size of numbers in order to round whole numbers; and
  • 3.4B — round to the nearest 10 or 100 or use compatible numbers to estimate solutions to addition and subtraction problems;
  • 3.1C — select tools, including real objects, manipulatives, paper and pencil, and technology as appropriate, and techniques, including mental math, estimation, and number sense as appropriate, to solve problems;

Utah

  • 3.NBT.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 3.OA.8.c — Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies, including rounding.

Vermont

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Virginia

  • 1.NS.2b — Estimate the number of objects (up to 120) in a given collection and justify the reasonableness of an answer.
  • 2.NS.1g — Choose a reasonable estimate up to 1,000 when given a contextual problem (e.g., What would be the best estimate for the number of students in our school – 5, 50, or 500?).

Washington

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 2.NBT.A.1 — Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones. Understand the following as special cases:

Washington, D.C.

  • 3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

West Virginia

  • M.3.12 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.

Wisconsin

  • M.3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to generate estimates for problems in real-world situations, with whole numbers within 1,000, using strategies such as mental math, benchmark numbers, compatible numbers, and rounding. Assess the reasonableness of their estimates (e.g., Is my estimate too low or too high? What degree of precision do I need for this situation?).

Wyoming

  • 3.NBT.E.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
  • 3.NBT.E — Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic (a range of algorithms may be used).