South Carolina ETV

South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Who Needs Numbers? (Grades 3-5)

Master Teacher

Sue Florence

Overview

This lesson explores large numbers starting with place value in ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands. Students will review basic place value using the video Math Cycle and base ten blocks. They will then move into reading and writing larger numbers.

SC Math/Science Standards Met

Math Achievement Standards
Strand 1: A, C

Learning Objectives

The students will be able to:

read and write whole numbers through one millions place.
compare and order whole numbers between 0 and 100,000.

Materials

construction paper (one sheet per student)
markers or crayons (one per student)
scissors (one pair per student)
The Day Without Math by Marilyn Kaye
one set of base ten blocks for each student or group (must have 10 ones, 10 tens, and 10 hundreds and 1 thousands cube). See Activity 1.
Place Value Mats made for Activity 1 (Directions are found on page 53.)
computer with Internet access

ITV Series/Internet Sites

Math Cycle, Lesson #1, "Place Value"

The Nine Planets

Previewing Activities

1. To introduce the lesson, read to the class The Day Without Math. Lead the class in a discussion about the importance of numbers in their lives.

Focus for Viewing

To give the students a specific responsibility while viewing the video, ask them to raise their hands when they hear a word that tells about number ideas.

Viewing Activities

Stop the video at the trash dumpster. Discuss the number idea words they heard. Write the words on a chart. Ask them if they can add to the list.

Before restarting the video, ask students to listen for ways to describe situations if you couldn't use numbers. Stop the video after each segment and before the answer is given. (Example: A picture of a plate of noodles could be called ___________?) When students give their answers, restart the tape. Continue to do this through the six examples. The last example is a jar with "too much water."

Ask students what happens when we need more specific information to describe a situation. Start the tape again and ask students to write down a precise answer to the question about the cost of a donut. Stop the tape after the statement, "Exactly how much did it cost?" Continue this method through the example on the cost of crackers. Restart the video until you come to the picture of the clock and stop the tape.

Now students are ready for Activity 1a, 1b, and 1c. Pass out sets of base ten blocks to the students and Place Value Mats. Fast-forward the tape to right past the playing cards. Instruct students that they will place their base ten blocks on the Place Value Mats along with the television teacher. Start the tape with the teacher talking about the names of numbers. The students will be adding unit cubes one at a time to their one's column on their place value mat with the television teacher. Students will continue to do this activity until they get to hundred's place. Stop the video.

Post-Viewing Activities

Using the base ten blocks, show students how they make one ten with ten ones, one hundred with ten tens, and one thousand with ten hundreds. Ask them how they would make one ten thousand, one hundred thousand, and a million.
Teach students the names of the commas: thousands, millions, and billions. Have them practice reading and writing large numbers by reading a number and having teams write the number on a piece of paper or a slate. Ask students to hold up their papers and call on someone to read the number. The winning team receives a point. The team with the most points gets a prize of your choosing.
Make a Place Value Flip Book.
(See Activity 2.)
Ask students if they can think of some ways large numbers are used and make a chart noting their responses.
Play the Place Value Shuffle with students. (See Activity 3.)

Action Plan

Teach students how to compare large numbers using <, >, and =. Use the South Carolina County Census site to compare the population of the counties. (See Activity 4.)

Extensions

Literature: Read the books How Much Is a Million? and If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz.
Science: Practice reading large numbers by using the Website "The Nine Planets." Discuss why large numbers are important and how they are used in astronomy.
Social Studies: Students can access the Website "How Far Is It?" and explore the distance from their hometown to other cities in the United States and the world.