Estimating distances 1

You will need:

1 Roamer
0-9 number line
A start line
Removable stickers

Place 0-9 number line on floor with start line adjacent to the beginning of the number line:

Place Roamer on 0 on number line.
Program Roamer to move forwards 5 steps.
Place Roamer on start line.
Program Roamer to move forwards 5 steps. - Mark floor where Roamer stops.

(By moving Roamer in this way, the children can see that Roamer's steps are always the same.)

Give each child a sticker to write their name on. (These will be used throughout the activity.)

Tallest child now stands on the start line and walks 5 steps. Mark floor where they stop with their sticker. Shortest child now stands on the start line and walks 5 steps also marking the floor where they stop.

Ask both children to repeat this task to prove that their steps are not always the same. They should stop in a different place to where their markers are.

Take the number line away.

Place Roamer on the start line and program to move forwards 5 steps. Mark floor where Roamer stops. (This wlll help the children estimate as hopefully the children wlll place their stickers before this sticker for numbers less than 5 and after for numbers greater than 5.)

Children, in turn now choose a number from 0-9 and all children, mark the floor where they think Roamer will stop. Roamer is then programmed to move to the chosen number of steps.