Max Maths, Year 5, Learn together, Word problems (1)

In a Year 5 mathematics lesson, students are introduced to solving word problems involving multiplication. The example provided centers around a practical scenario where students must calculate the total cost of a box containing 24 web cameras, with each camera priced at $28. To begin, students are encouraged to estimate the cost by rounding the numbers to the nearest tens, multiplying 20 by 30 to get an estimated total of $600. This estimation technique helps students to quickly gauge the approximate cost before proceeding to a more precise calculation.

Following the estimation, the lesson guides students through finding the exact total cost by setting up a multiplication table. The process involves multiplying $28 by 24 using the rows and columns method. Students break down the problem into simpler parts: multiplying $28 by 20 and then by 4, and subsequently adding the results together. The calculations yield a sum of $672, which is then added up to reveal the exact total cost for the box of web cameras. The final answer of $672 is compared to the initial estimate, demonstrating the usefulness of estimation in solving word problems and providing a check for the actual calculation.