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

Exploring place value with M&Ms

This lesson will use M&Ms to explore place value. The students are given 8-10 M&Ms and assigned a value for each color from one to hundred thousand. The students will then write their number in standard, written and expanded form. The students will also identify the place and value of various digits.

A lesson plan for grade 4 Mathematics

By Amy Bullins

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Learning outcomes

Students will learn to read and write numbers less than one million in standard and expanded notation and identify the place value of each digit in a multi-digit numeral.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

35-40 minutes

Materials/resources

  • 1 bag of M & Ms
  • An overhead transparency with the assigned values for each color
  • pencil and paper for each child

Pre-activities

Have the students copy the attached chart from the overhead (or you can copy ahead of time and distribute).

Activities

  1. Once the students have the above chart, give each child 8-10 M&Ms. Instruct the students not to eat the M&Ms yet, but to put them in order from greatest to least using the assigned values on the chart. The teacher will need to model this process on the overhead as well.
  2. Have the students build their number and write it below their chart. (Some students may need the help of a place value chart to do this). Make sure that all the students have built and identified their number correctly. Have each student practice saying their number correctly to their team members.
  3. Using the number the teacher is modeling with, the students and teacher will discuss and answer the following prompts:
    • Write the number in expanded form.
    • Write the number in written form.
    • Identify the number in the ten thousand’s place.
    • Identify the value of the number in the ten thousand’s place.
    • How many hundreds are in the number?
    • What is 1,000 more than this number?
    • What is 10 less than this number?

    Discuss any misconceptions before having the students work independently.

Assessment

The teacher will then collect each child’s work and assess goal mastery.

Supplemental information

Comments

The initial idea for this lesson plan came from a colleague, Dale Fulton at Moss Street Elementary school.

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Mathematics (2004)

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.
    • Objective 1.05: Develop flexibility in solving problems by selecting strategies and using mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • Mathematics (2010)

      • Grade 4

        • Number & Operations in Base 101
          • 4.NO.1Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right. For example, recognize that 700 รท 70 = 10 by applying concepts of place value and division.
          • 4.NO.2Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. Compare two multi-digit numbers based on meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.