teaching estimation to first graders

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teaching estimation to first graders
By Laura White

This is a fun estimation activity I like to do around Easter time. Make a large easter egg out of poster board. Ahead of time, count out how many mini-marshmallows it will take to fill the egg. This is so you know the
correct answer ahead of time. Show the students the egg and some marshmallows. The students each write on a cut out egg their estimation of how many marshmallows it will take to fill the egg. Then glue the individual eggs all to a large piece of paper. Now,from your marshmallows that you have already counted, give each child a small handful. They are to count them in groups of tens

and ones. The tens should be in a pile and the ones should each be by themself. Then exchange their marshmallow number for unifix cubes. For example if they had two tens and one (1) in marshmallows, then they would go get two tens and one (1) of unifix cubes. While they are counting cubes, lay your large egg on newspaper and put Elmer's glue all over it. Students then bring their marshmallows back to the egg and they glue them down. You will then be able to count the unifix cubes to see exactly how many marshmallows were needed. Count the unifix cubes in sticks of ten. Have fun and e-mail me if I was not clear about something. Laura