Place the value

This activity allows students to create 3-digit numbers while strategically trying to "out value" their opponents' values.

A lesson plan for grade 2 Mathematics

By amy cord

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Related topics

• Learn more about mathematics, number sense, and place value.

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Learning outcomes

Students will be play “Place the Value” to model 3-digit numbers and to demonstrate their understanding of comparing and ordering numbers less than 1000.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45 minutes

Materials/resources

• One gameboard is needed for each pair of students.
• Gameboard is an opened file folder (made so that the labels allow students to face each other as they play): draw a box in the middle for card deck; on each end of the folder, draw and label three boxes for the “Hundreds”, “Tens”, and “Ones” place value.
• Each pair of students will need one deck of cards (#0-9).

Pre-activities

Students should have been exposed and understand the term “value” and how that term applies to “Hundreds”, “Tens”, and “Ones” places.

Activities

1. Divide students into pairs. Each pair will receive a gameboard and a “deck” of cards. Cards are to be shuffled and placed face down on the gameboard.
2. The object of the game is to create the largest number value using the cards drawn. (Ask students to name the largest possible number that can be created with the numbers #0-9 = “987″) Students alternate turns by drawing a card and placing it in the “Hundreds”, “Tens”, or “Ones” box. For example, if students are creating the largest number, the best place to put the number “9″ if drawn, would be in the hundreds place. Once a card has been placed in a value box, it cannot be changed to another one. The student who creates the largest value wins the round.
3. When students are successful in creating the largest number, the object can then be changed to creating the smallest value number. When creating the smallest number, the number “0″ would work best in the “Hundreds” place value. The student that creates the smallest number wins the round.

Assessment

• Classroom monitoring of students as they play “Place the Value”
• Give the students numbers 0-9 and on a sheet of paper ask them to:

1. write the largest number they can create using 3 of those numbers
2. write the smallest number they can create using 3 of those numbers
3. give students pairs of numbers and ask them to write the numbers on their paper and circle the largest number (for example: 258 and 401, 967 and 854, etc.
4. give students pairs of numbers and ask them to circle the smallest number (for example: 153 and 246, 750 and 698, etc.)