Activity 1: Estimation in Different Bases

1. Consider packing candies in groups of 5. How many candies (in base 5) would you estimate are in the following array?


2. Now consider packing candies in groups of 3. How many candies would you estimate are in the array shown above? Which was easier to estimate? What does this tell you about place value?

3. Consider packing candies packed in groups of 4. How many candies (in base 10) are contained in the following picture? How do you think you could go about solving this task?



How could you justify your answer?


Copyright Janet Bowers, 1997

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