Place value activity 1

Estimated Time
35-40 minutes

Materials/ Resources needed
Paper, scale, pencil, marker, a pair of scissors

Process (How to do the activity)

 * Print 32 squares of this.
 * Distribute into 8 groups of 4 children each.
 * Each group will get 4 squares.
 * The value of 4 squares will be 4x100 = 400
 * Each group must cut the solid lines; 1 square will have 10 strips. These are tens.  So each square has 10 “tens”  (They can either *cut, or work without cutting – up to the children)
 * Each one of those tens will have 10 ones.

Developmental points/questions
'''II. Abstraction from here (1 period)'''
 * Let the children make numbers and write them down
 * Ask them what is the largest number each group can make? 400 is the answer – but check if children understand this.

Now let us assume children have 9 such squares.

In each group, how many hundreds are possible ? – 9

In each group, how many tens are there ? – 9 x 10 = 90

In each group, how many tens are there ? – 90 x 10 = 900

'''1-9 ones are possible; 10 ones means one ten. Ten ones is the same as one ten'''

'''1-9 tens are possible; 10 tens means one hundred. Ten tens is the same as one hundred'''.

'''What happens when we have 10 hundreds? What is it the same as?'''

'''What is the importance of ten? We count in groups of tens'''

9+1= 10 = 10 x 1

99 + 1 = 100 = 10 x 10

999 + 1 = 1000 = 10 x 100

Greatest 1-digit number + 1 = Smallest 2-digit number

Greatest 2-digit number + 1 = Smallest 3-digit number

Greatest 3-digit number + 1 = Smallest 4-digit number

Following the pattern, we can expect that, on adding 1 to the greatest 4-digit number

(9999 – nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine) we get the smallest 5-digit number

'''(9999 + 1 = 10,000 or ten thousand). Further we can expect that 10 x 1000 = 10,000 i.e.'''

9999 + 1 = 10,000 = 10 x 1000.

Do this only when children are confident – this is for advanced students

Evaluation (Questions for assessment of the child)
Suppose we have 4 digits 7, 8, 3, 5. We want to make different 4-digit numbers using these digits such that no digits are repeated in each number. For example, you can make 7835 and 3578 but 7738 is not allowed because 7 is repeated and 5 is not used.
 * 1) Making numbers

a. What is the greatest number you can make?

b. What is the smallest number?

c. Can you write down how you make the greatest number and the smallest number?

Use the given digits without repetition and make the greatest and smallest 4-digit numbers. Note that 0753 is a 3 digit number and is therefore not allowed.

Hint: Think about which digit you will use twice.
 * 1) Now make the greatest and smallest 4-digit numbers by using any one digit twice.


 * 1) Make the greatest/ smallest 4-digit numbers using any 4 different digits with conditions as given

Activity Keywords
To link back to the concept page