My math challenge in the 6th grade social studies class I teach involved estimating this time around.
Given that there are almost 70 standard miles in a degree of latitude, show *how* you can estimate the circumference of the earth.
But I guess I'm forcing them to estimate by not telling them that there are 69.1 or so standard miles in a degree of latitude. I also drew a big circle on it to encourage them to use a picture.
Yes - that's a cute question, but I'm not sure it's really estimation in the sense people are talking about here. There's no need for them to do any estimation; they are using as input your approximate data, and maybe you're talking about significant figures and how they should report the answer, which is a skill related to estimation, but there's no reason they shouldn't do their sum (70 x 360) exactly, is there?
