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Powerful Addition Strategies

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Powerful Addition Strategies

Help plan a community fun run by choosing smart addition strategies. Show your working, and check that each answer makes sense. Use Australian dollars where shown.

Round and adjust

Round one addend to a friendly number, add, then adjust to compensate.

1.The fun run has 3,796 registered runners and 2,458 family supporters. Estimate the total by rounding each number to the nearest hundred, then calculate the exact total using a strategy of your choice.

2.A volunteer estimates 4,987 + 2,136 by calculating 5,000 + 2,136. What adjustment is needed to get the exact total? Give the exact sum.

Jump along a number line

Break an addend into useful jumps, such as thousands, hundreds, tens and ones.

3.Begin at 5,937 and add 3,784 using jumps of +3,000, +700, +80 and +4. Write the number at each landing point and the final total.

4.A number-line jump starts at 2,850. It moves forward 1,000, then 500, then 70, then 6. What addition does this represent, and where does it finish?

Partition and recombine

Add matching place-value parts, then combine the partial sums.

5.The fun run raised $7,354 on Saturday and $2,897 on Sunday. Partition both amounts into thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. Add the matching parts and find the total raised.

6.A teammate partitions 4,268 + 3,157 like this: (4,000 + 3,000) + (200 + 100) + (60 + 50) + (8 + 7). Calculate each partial sum and recombine.

Choose, check and explain

Compare strategies and look for errors that could change a result.

7.Which is the most efficient first step for 6,999 + 2,438? Choose one and explain why: A. Change 6,999 to 7,000 and subtract 1 from the other addend. B. Round both numbers to the nearest ten. C. Start by adding the ones only.

A. Change 6,999 to 7,000 and subtract 1 from the other addend.
B. Round both numbers to the nearest ten.
C. Start by adding the ones only.

8.Hudson says 3,846 + 2,179 = 5,915 because she added 3,800 + 2,100 and then 46 + 79 = 15. Find the mistake and give the correct total.

9.The event budget has $1,875 for water and $2,648 for fruit. Choose a strategy, calculate the combined cost, then use an estimate to check whether your answer is reasonable.

10.Create two four-digit addends that have a total of 8,000. Show one way to check your answer with an addition strategy.