This is a book that gives teachers a
fun way to introduce and teach thier students about estimation and counting.
It is written by Stuart J. Murphy and illustrated by S. D. Schindler.
Betcha! is
a book about two friends count and estimate just about everything they see.
From the number of people on thier bus, to the number of cars stuck in a traffic
jam, the amount of money they would need to buy all of the toys in the store
window, and of course, how many jellybeans are in the jar. They discover that
estimating can be fun and that practicing their new skill has real rewards.
This would be an appropriate classroom lesson for grades 2 and up.
If
you would like to have more fun with the math concepts presented in Betcha!,
here are a few suggestions:
Read
the story together and ask the children to describe what is going on in each
picture. Ask questions throughout the story, such as "What would you do
to estimate how many people are on a bus?" and
"How would you estimate the number of cars in a traffic jam?"
Help
the children to understand what it means to estimate: Ask "How did you
get your answer?" and "Is it about right?" Encourage the child
to reconsider the estimate as more information is available. Remember: The process
of understanding is more important than an exact answer.
Discuss
real-life situations that require estimations. Examples could include ordering
enough pizza for the whole family or deciding how many errands can be done before
ballet or soccer practice.
Try
using estimation to check against calculator work. Estimate the total cost of
four or five items in the refridgerator. Then add them up on a calculator. Was
the estimate a reasonable answer? Was it about right?
Together,
make up your own "Betcha!" game. Pick something that is difficult
to count, such as people in a long line, cars in a parking lot, or cookies in
a box. Then check to see how close these estimates are to real numbers.
The following
books include some of the same concepts that are presented in betcha!
COunting
on Frank by Rod Clement
Counting
jennie by helena clare pittman
How
much is a million? by David m. schwartz
check out
these and other great books at
To go directly
to the BETCHA! link: