Place value power

This lesson plan incorporates 3 modalities, which will hopefully help students use the ones/units period, the thousands period, and the millions period to compare numbers in a variety of forms.

A lesson plan for grade 5 Mathematics

By Becky Boney

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Learning outcomes

The student should be able to identify the ones/units period, the thousands period, and the millions period as well as read and compare numbers in a variety of forms.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

2 Hours

Materials/resources

• 3 different colors of 3-arrow construction models of specific periods
• 3 different colors of large rectangular construction paper denoting the ones/units period,the thousands period,and the millions period
• Chalkboard
• 2 different colors of construction paper denoting two commas
• 3-arrow construction model
• 9 steps
• large digits

Pre-activities

Students will need to:

• identify the definition of period and digit.
• know that 3 digits make up a period.
• know that commas are used to separate periods.
• know the correct location of the ones, tens, and hundreds place in each period.

Activities

Various parts of this lesson are geared toward visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.

1. Ask students to define period and digit.
2. Ask students to tell how many digits make up a period.
3. Ask students what punctuation mark is used to separate periods.
4. Display 1 color of a 3-arrow construction model of the ones/units period on the chalkboard. Ask the students if they know the name of this period.
5. Write a 3-digit number on the 3-arrow model (ex: 451). Have students recite the number orally. Emphasize that a period has 3 digits: ones(1),tens(5), and hundreds(4). Make sure that students know the correct location of the ones, tens, and hundreds place.
6. Display a different color of a 3-arrow construction model of the thousands period. Explain to students that you are going to place a comma between the ones/units period and the thousands period. Place the comma in the appropriate place. I tell my students that the name of this comma is “thousand”. This seems to be helping students who are slower learners. When they say a number, they stop to see how many commas there are. If there is only one comma, they know that they are going to say thousand.
7. Use the following digits in the thousands period:
• thousands(6)
• ten thousands(3)
• hundred thousands(2)
8. Have students recite the number orally. The number is 236,451 so far.
9. Display a different color of a 3-arrow construction model of the millions period. Place a comma between the thousands period and the millions period. As stated in number 11, I tell my students that the name of this comma is “million”. I also to tell them that when there are two commas in a number, the one on the farthest on the left is named “million” and the one to its right is named “thousand”. This may confuse some students, but I have been successful so far with my students.
10. Use the following digits in the millions period:
    • millions(7)
    • ten millions(6)
    • hundred millions(5)

    The number is 567,236,451.

11. When you feel that your students are grasping this concept, try different digits and see if this method helps them in reciting the number orally. Hopefully, they will be able to transfer what they’ve learned when using expanded form, word form, etc.
12. Using the numbers and the 3-arrow construction model, go to the ones/units period and begin knocking on each digit until you reach the comma. Say “Knock, knock, knock” as you touch each digit in the ones, tens, and hundreds places. When you reach the comma , touch it and say “Sh”. This reinforces that there are 3 digits in a period before you separate a period with a comma. I call this activity “Sh-Knocks.”
13. Continue this activity , going through each period, until you have “Sh-Knocked ” the entire number. The activity should sound like this: “Knock, knock, knock, sh, knock, knock, knock, sh, knock, knock, knock, sh.” This is used only to separate periods. It helps for you to emphasize that when reading a number in standard form, that they read from left to right, but when separating periods, they begin from the right and go to the left.
14. Draw a set of 9 steps on the chalkboard. Beginning at the bottom right, begin placing the digits listed above on top of each step. Place commas in the appropriate places.
15. Using a pencil or a finger, have the students touch each step as you orally separate each period using a comma, as you go up the steps. Recite the number orally as you go down the steps.
16. Ask student volunteers to go the front of the class with large pieces of colored construction paper representing each period.(Use the same colors as the 3-arrow construction models)
17. Using large digits, ask student volunteers to place their digit in the appropriate place on the large pieces of construction paper. Have students place large commas in the appropriate place between the digits. Use tape to attach the digits. Have students kneel and hold the commas in the appropriate place.
18. Ask the class if these digits are in the correct location. Adjust, if necessary.
19. Ask the entire class to recite the number in standard form. (Use the number listed above)
20. Vary the number and see if students can be successful.

Assessment

Teacher Observation: Teacher-made worksheet assessing understanding of separating digits into periods, placing commas in the correct place, etc.

Supplemental information

Comments

I hope that these activities will help your students as well as they have helped mine.