Author: Dr. Mavis Kelley
E-mail: mkelley@badlands.nodak.edu
Grade: Varies
Concepts: Place Value
Materials: See lessons
Activity time: See lessons

Base Ten Blocks:

My favorite manipulative/way to teach place value is with Base Ten Blocks. You can play roll to 100 or 111 and bust (the subtraction version). They're both in About Teaching Mathematics by Marilyn Burns. Roll to 100 you use one or two dice and shake, then take that number of base ten blocks. The students trade to use the least number of blocks with the goal of reaching 100.

The subtraction game:

The subtraction game starts at 111 and the students take away until they have no blocks left. Again, they practice trading. My math methods students have a little trouble with this game sometimes; it's an area where they haven't learned the conceptual understanding.

Imagine:

Imagine - is another good one. You can start by having them show you numbers with the blocks (you can buy the thousands block or make cubes with milk cartons). Say a number and they show it with their blocks. Then, you can play imagine (imagine 10 more; 100 more; 1000 more; 500 more; 25 more, etc. as well as imagining less). That's a good visual/mental math activity.

Acting Out Numbers:

Acting Out Numbers - You can pass out the digit cards for 0 - 9 and call out a number without repeated digits (use a digit only once). The students arrange themselves. I use to write the commas on the blackboard, and have them arrange themselves between the commas. Then, ask them the value of one of the digits, for example 9. If the nine is in the thousands place, it's 9,000. You can then ask them how they'd show it with the blocks. (9 of the 1000 blocks or 90 of the 100 blocks, etc.) To make each digit card, I use a 9 X 12 piece of cardstock (any piece of paper will be fine) and write each digit on one side using a black marker.

Who Has:

You can play Place Value Who Has. If you haven't played "Who Has?" I can send the directions. Just make up a game using place value.

More or less:

More or less? You could act out to different numbers, and then ask the students which number is larger and how do they know that? I'd start that with the base ten blocks and then move to larger numbers, using the cards.