Mountain heights

Mountain heights

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
This task is about rounding whole numbers.

a) What is the height of Mount Taranaki rounded to the nearest 10 metres? __________m

 
b) What is the height of Mount Tarawera rounded to the nearest 100 metres? __________m

 
c) What is the height of Mount Ruapehu rounded to the nearest 10 metres? __________m

 
d) What is the height of Mount Tongariro rounded to the nearest 100 metres? __________m

 
e) What is the height of Walter Peak rounded to the nearest 10 metres? __________m
Task administration: 
This task is completed with pencil and paper only.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Maths, Number and Algebra, Number Knowledge
Keywords: 
rounding, place value, whole numbers
Description of task: 
Students round distances to the nearest 10 or 100.
Answers/responses: 
 

Y9 (04/1999)
a) 2,520 easy
b) 1,100 easy
c) 2,800 easy
d) 2,000 easy
e) 1,820 [Do not accept 1,810]. moderate
Diagnostic and formative information: 
   Common error Likely reason
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)		 2,500; 2,600
1,000; 1,110
3,000
1,970
1,800; 2,000		 Rounds to an inappropriate place value, i.e., to hundreds instead of tens, thousands instead of hundreds, etc.
b)
e)		 2,790
1,810		 Rounds to next lower 10 rather than next higher 10.