Place value - Rounding to 1,000,000 - Planning

In a comprehensive Year 5 mathematics lesson on place value, students are introduced to the concept of rounding numbers up to one million. The lesson commences with a recap of previous learning, where students revisit the basics of rounding numbers and extend their understanding to include rounding to the nearest hundred thousand. Key vocabulary such as 'round up', 'round down', and place value terms from 'ones' to 'hundred thousands' are essential components of the lesson. Students engage with real-world data by examining population figures of UK cities and applying rounding rules to estimate to the nearest hundred thousand. They learn to identify the significant digits for rounding and discuss scenarios where traditional rounding rules might not apply, such as ensuring enough resources for an event based on attendance figures.

The lesson is structured to cater to different levels of understanding, with activities ranging from rounding a single number through various powers of ten to creating word problems that challenge conventional rounding rules. Group work and independent learning are facilitated through the use of differentiated worksheets, and the lesson culminates in a plenary session to consolidate learning and address common misconceptions. For example, students explore cases where rounding up is necessary even when it seems counterintuitive, such as ensuring there are enough boxes to pack a certain number of items. The lesson aims to ensure students are fluent in rounding within a million and can apply their knowledge to both simple and complex real-life problems, with the ultimate goal of achieving a greater depth of understanding in the use of rounding in various contexts.