Estimation

The students were introduced to the art and science of estimation. At different times they estimated the weight or volume of different items in the kitchen, the volume of water consumed or expended in bath, the size of the football field, or even the weight of their clock or the sofa. On different occasions they also estimated distance or time.

For most of these, they actually went ahead with the actual measurement of weight or volume – and could compare their estimate with the actuals.

When we moved to exploring with the Atlas, curious students are learning to estimate distances from Brahmapur to Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad, or Singapore. They learn “scale” and how to estimate distances. In maps of India or Asia, Brahmapur does not appear, but the indentation at Chilka Lake is visible, and they learn that measuring from Chilka is a good “estimate” when the distance is “large”.

Estimation is a key life skill, as we would seldom have all the data. The successful people are those who take decisions quickly based on reasonable estimates – and it is important our children get introduced to the art and science of estimation early on.