Academy Curricular Exchange
Columbia Education Center
Mathematics

TITLE:  REINFORCEMENT LESSON IN PLACE VALUE

AUTHOR:  Morgan Cottle; Ashland, OR

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:  2-4

OVERVIEW:  This is a lesson in place value that never fails to
build excitement and generates groans of disapproval when it is
time to quit.  The level of difficulty can be varied based on the
grade level and time of year.

PURPOSE:  The purpose of this lesson is to build the students
knowledge of place value utilizing a more hands on "thinking
approach."

OBJECTIVES:  Using prediction strategies, the students will show
the ability to order digits to create the highest or lowest
possible number.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  Each student needs a copy of a game sheet and
writing utensil.  The teacher needs to have a copy of the games
sheet on the overhead and a dice.  I use a big dice, 4" X 4", made
from a coffee cup gift box.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:  Each student will have a piece of paper
that is divided into columns and rows.  The number of columns
dictates how far you want the place value lesson to go, 5 rows goes
into the tens of thousand, 3 rows into the hundreds.  The number
of rows dictates the number of games to be played.  The teacher has
a student roll the dice to see which is the first digit that needs
to be placed.  Once the digit is revealed, the student needs to
decide where that digit should be placed.  If the goal is to create
the highest number into the hundreds and the first digit rolled is
a 1, I would hope the student would not place it into the hundreds
column but into the ones column instead.  Once all the students
have written down where that first digit is located then another
student rolls the dice for the next number, and so on until all the
needed digits have been rolled.  When it is completed ask for
someone to tell you what the highest possible number could have
been, and see how many created that number.  It is fun for the
students to see if the teacher created the number too!  This works
well for the lowest possible number also.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  As the year goes on I vary this lesson to
include creation of multiplication problems and division problems. 
This is a good follow up activity to a more hands on introduction
of place value.  While the students are getting more practice in
place value in a game like setting, the students who do not relate
well to competition will still succeed by playing along and
watching the other students volunteer information.

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