Round Decimals to the Nearest Whole Number and Tenth

Students use place value understanding to round decimals to the nearest whole number or nearest tenth. They identify the rounding place, examine the digit to its right, and apply rounding rules, using number lines as a visual support.

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Grade 5 · Rounding Decimals · question 1 of 3

0 of 20

20 rungs. A star at the top.

Enter the whole number that L is closest to.

Your answer:

How it is taught

0:00 of 5:18

A tenth is one place to the right of the ones.

The nearer labelled tenth is the one you type.

Read it: Which mark is nearer?

4.6 sits between 4 and 5. The middle of the line is 4.5, and 4.6 is past it, so 4.6 rounds to 5.

Find the marks on either side of the number.
Find the middle mark between them: for 4 and 5 it is 4.5.
Past the middle, round up to the higher mark; short of it, round down.

Rounding asks which mark a number is nearer, and the middle is exactly as near to both.

4.3 is short of 4.5, so it is nearer 4 and rounds down, not up.

Any place works this way: the gap between the marks is cut into 10 steps, and the middle mark decides.

Find the middle between the marks; a number past it rounds up, and a number short of it rounds down.

Always rounding up, and saying 4.3 rounds to 5.

4.3 is short of the middle at 4.5, so it is nearer 4. It rounds down to 4.

Round 3.3 to the nearest whole number. — 3. 3.3 sits short of the middle at 3.5, so it is nearer 3 than 4.

Round 3.47

Today we'll round the decimal three point four seven — first to the nearest whole number, then to the nearest tenth.

Nearest whole first. Three point four seven sits somewhere between three and four on the number line.

To decide which one is closer, look at the digit right after the ones place — the tenths digit. It's a four.

Four is less than five, so we round down.

Grade 5 · Rounding 3.47 to the nearest whole and tenth

So three point four seven rounds to three.

Now the nearest tenth. Three point four seven sits between three point four and three point five.

This time we look one place further — the hundredths digit. It's a seven.

Seven is five or more, so we round up.

So three point four seven rounds to three point five.

To the nearest whole, 3.47 is 3. To the nearest tenth, 3.47 is 3.5. Nicely done!

What you see

While they climb, your page writes one true line to ask about tonight, and a short note each Sunday.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Did you know?

A chessboard has 64 squares — share them out between the 8 rows and each row holds exactly 8.

Today’s goal: 1 star — one skill mastered, every rung of its ladder climbed
Climbing now: Divide within 100

An example student.

MayaGrade 3 · Mathematics

Maya earned 2 stars this week — Interpret multiplication as equal groups, which took 6 answers over 3 days before its star landed 3 days ago and Multiply by 6, 7, 8 and 9. Next up: Divide within 100.

An example week.

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