Objective: 

Students will practice rounding whole numbers to the nearest 10 by playing a dice game. They will use place value understanding to decide whether to round up or down. This lesson integrates computational thinking by having students explain their decision-making process and simulate control structures like conditionals used in programming.

Materials Needed: 

• Dice (two per pair)

• Game boards

• Markers

• Rounding reference chart

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by reviewing how to round numbers to the nearest 10. Ask, "When you see the number 46, do you round it to 40 or 50? Why?" 

  • Explain that rounding involves looking at the digit in the ones place to decide whether to round up or down.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will roll two dice, add the numbers together, and write down the sum. 

  • They will then round their total to the nearest 10, using their understanding of place value. 

  • For example, if they roll a 3 and a 6, the sum is 9, which rounds to 10. If they roll a 4 and a 5, the sum is 9, which also rounds to 10.

• Game Decision (Simulating Conditionals): 

  • The player with the highest rounded number wins the round, but only if they can explain why they rounded their number up or down. 

  • This mirrors a "conditional" in programming, where an action happens only if a certain condition is met.

• Reflection and Discussion: 

  • After a few rounds, bring the class together to discuss their strategies for rounding. 

  • Ask, "What helped you decide whether to round up or down?" 

  • Encourage students to explain their thought process, as programmers would explain decisions in code comments.

Equity and Access: 

Provide visual aids for students who need extra help understanding rounding. Allow students to work in groups if they are more comfortable.

Real-World Application: 

Discuss how rounding helps simplify numbers in real-world scenarios, like estimating costs or distances.

CS Practice(s):

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify when and why they need to round numbers, similar to solving a problem in programming.

• Communicating About Computing: Students explain their rounding decisions, much like how programmers use comments to explain their code.

Standard(s): 

• CA CCSS for Mathematics 3.NBT.1

• CA CS 3-5.AP.19

Objective: 

Students will create a game in Scratch or another coding platform where they program the game to ask users to round numbers to the nearest 10 or 100. They will use conditionals to check the user’s input and provide feedback. This lesson integrates events, conditionals, and comments to explain their program’s development.

Materials Needed: 

• Computers or tablets 

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Review the concept of rounding to the nearest 10 or 100. 

  • Ask students to recall how they decide whether to round up or down. 

  • Explain that they will build a game in a coding platform that asks players to round numbers and will use conditionals to check if the answer is correct.

• Creating the Game: 

  • Students will work in pairs to design a simple game. 

  • They will program the game to display a random number (e.g., 47 or 153) and ask the player to round it to the nearest 10 or 100. 

  • The program will use conditionals to check the player's input and give feedback based on whether the answer is correct.

• Adding Loops and Events: 

  • Students will use loops to ask multiple rounding questions in sequence, and events to allow the player to click a "Next" button to proceed to the next question. 

  • They can also add a feature where the score flashes or increases when the number can be rounded to 100, integrating the math concept into their program.

• Testing and Adding Comments: 

  • As students test their game, they will add comments in the code to explain their design choices, such as why they chose a specific condition for rounding or why the score flashes when the answer is 100. 

  • These comments help others understand the program's development.

• Presentation and Reflection: 

  • Each group will present their game to the class, explaining how they used conditionals to check the answers and how they used comments to describe their decisions. 

  • The class can play each other’s games and offer feedback.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-made code snippets or templates for students who need extra support. Pair students with varying levels of experience to ensure peer learning.

Real-World Application: 

Discuss how rounding numbers helps in areas like budgeting, distance tracking, and video game design, where values need to be simplified.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students build a game using a coding platform that incorporates math skills and programming concepts like conditionals and events.

• Communicating About Computing: Students add comments in their code to explain their design decisions, helping others understand the logic behind their program.

Standard(s): 

• CA CCSS for Mathematics 3.NBT.1

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12

• CA CS 3-5.AP.19