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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Making your first million

http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L367

A lesson plan for grades 3–5 and 8 Mathematics

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Students will attempt to identify the concept of a million by working with smaller numerical units, such as blocks of 10 or 100, and then expanding the idea by multiplication or repeated addition until a million is reached. Illuminations provides an activity sheet for completion of the lesson. After students discuss large numbers considering real-life application, the teacher ask questions about the magnitude of such numbers. Students participate in a series of activities where they learn to count to the millions.

Students will:

  • Use proportional reasoning in problem solving.
  • Use standard and nonstandard measurement.

NCTM Standards and Expectations covered in this lesson include:

  • Designing investigations to address a question and considering how data-collection methods affect the nature of the data set.
  • Collecting data using observations, surveys, and experiments.
  • Recognizing equivalent representations for the same number and generate them by decomposing and composing numbers.
  • Understanding the place-value structure of the base-ten number system and being able to represent and compare whole numbers and decimals.
  • Developing and using strategies to estimate the results of rational-number computations and judge the reasonableness of the results.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Grade 3

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will model, identify, and compute with whole numbers through 9,999.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for whole numbers through 9,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (ones through thousands).
      • Compare and order.

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will read, write, model, and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for rational numbers 0.01 through 99,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (hundredths through ten thousands).
      • Compare and order rational numbers.
      • Make estimates of rational numbers in appropriate situations.

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations - The learner will understand and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for rational numbers 0.001 through 999,999.
      • Connect model, number word, and number using a variety of representations.
      • Build understanding of place value (thousandths through hundred thousands).
      • Compare and order rational numbers.
      • Make estimates of rational numbers in appropriate situations.

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: Number and Operations -The learner will understand and compute with real numbers.
    • Objective 1.01: Develop number sense for the real numbers.
      • Define and use irrational numbers.
      • Compare and order.
      • Use estimates of irrational numbers in appropriate situations.