Place value activities from Michael Ymer PD.

Telephone mania
Rip out pages from a telephone book and give each child a page. Magnifying glasses are great
to use, especially for us teachers. The tasks can be varied to suit different ability levels.
 Can you find and circle numbers pairs. ie 10, 11, 12, etc.
 Can you find any two, three or four digits in the same telephone number that are next
to each other and total exactly10, 20, 30.
 The telephone numbers are divided in two groups of four. Can you find a balanced
number. That is if you add up the final four digits you get the same answer to
totalling the first four digits of the same telephone number.
 List 10 four digits numbers and order them.
 Can you add all eight digits in any of the telephone numbers 40 ? Which are the
easier telephone numbers to use.
 Can you use all numbers and any operations to make the answer zero.

Using Ten Frames -Race to 10, 20, 30. 0.

Use ten frame boards and counters with children working in pairs. Taking it in turns children
roll a die and collect the counters placing them on a ten frame. They then need to verbalise
their progress. For example.
*Two children playing Race to 10. One student rolls a 4 and collects four counters. He/she
places the four counters on the ten frame and says ‘ i have 4 and i need 6 more.’ Player 2 then
does the same. The first to reach exactly ten wins.
*By adding more than one ten frame students can play race to 12, 15, 20, 30 etc. Children
need to practise making tens first and then adding on when playing Race to 12, 13 etc. For
example instead of saying I need 8 when a student has 4, they need to say I need 6 and 2
more.
* The game can also focus on taking away where the first to get to exactly zero wins.
*Play cover up. One student places counters in groups on the frame and covers it. They then
flash the layout for a couple of seconds and the partner tries to guess the number.
*Use the boards as a teaching aid to help children see numbers in frames of ten.

Grid it …100 / 0 –99 number board

Children draw a number of connecting squares from 5 to 12. The shape can vary. One child
places a number in one of the squares that is on the 100 number board and invites his/ her
partner to try and fill the empty squares in relation to the position of the numbers on the 100
number board without looking. Initially children may need to use the board. Swap over. The
child creating the grid may wish to have the board in front to help select a number.

Odd or Even - Reading numbers and identifying odd and even numbers

A card game suitable for students from Prep to Year 6.

Two students place a deck of cards in front of them face down. Kings, Jacks, Tens
and Jokers removed. The Queens represent zero and the Aces represent one. Students
take it in turns taking one card at a time. Before they flip it over and read out the
number they guess whether or not it is odd or even. [Children can draft a sheet with
odd numbers on one side and even numbers on the other side and place a counter on
their guess before flipping the card. This stops arguments about what was and wasn’t
said.] If the child guesses correctly he/she keeps the card. If he guessed incorrectly the
card is given to his/her partner Keep playing until the cards have all been used. The
student with the most cards wins that game. Cards are shuffled and a new game
begins.
Teachers may wish to assess a student’s ability to read numbers by asking him/her to
press a number on the calculator and read it. If successful press another and so on.
This will tell you if a child can read 2, 3, or more digit numbers and can help pair
students appropriately. Allow children to play game up to one digit further than they
can read so that learning can be extended.
Variations
Play the game with more than one card. The focus is not identifying odd and even
numbers as children read larger numbers. The focus is correctly reading and saying
2,3,4,5 etc digit numbers.
game. Cards are shuffled and a new game begins.

Change it – Caculator game with a place value focus. [All levels]

Partner activity where like ability pairs take it in turn to enter a number into the
calculator and change digits. For example, one child creates a number and enters it.
Lets say 342. He/she then asks the other child to change a digit. For example, change
the 4 into a 7. The partner then needs to + 30 and the number becomes 372. Swap
over and the activity continues. The students need to determine the value of the digit
that is being changed. Place value materials such as MAB may need to be used to help
students see the value of digits in different places. If a mistake is made the game
simply continues with the new number.

Variations
 Simplify the activity for young children by using a single digit number and
giving each pair ten unifix cubes so that they can make the numbers and then
use the calculator to check.
 Vary the range of numbers selected to cater for mixed abilities.
 Take it in turns changing digits to make a set number i.e. 999, 0
 Use subtraction or addition to change a digit.
 Change more than one digit at a time with one move. For example the entered
number is 51 478. Change both the digits 1 and the 7 into 6’s with the one
move. This can be challenging. Students will need to think along the lines ‘ I
will need to add 6 000 and then take away 10. Therefore if I add 5 990 I
should get 56 468.
 Use decimals in the activity.

Hit the target– Calculator game with a place value and addition focus [All levels]

List several suitable target numbers on the board. For example 10, 20, 50, 100, 1,
101.01 depending on year level.
Children work in like ability pairs selecting an appropriate target number. They take it
in turns to enter a number that is smaller than the target number. The challenge is for
the other student to enter the matching number to hit the target. For example. Two
children agree to play target 20. Player one enters 12 into the calculator. Player two
has the challenge of finding and adding the number to make 20. In this case 8. Swap
roles after each shot.
Variations
Use target numbers such as 101, 9.9, 17, - negative numbers.

Guess and Press – Calculator game with a focus on estimation and ordering
whole and decimals [Year 3 +]

Children work in pairs or threes. Teacher specifies a starting number [say 23] and a
target number [say 100]. Notice that the starting number will not evenly fit into the
target number. The aim of the game is to find what number is required to multiply
with the starting number to hit the bullseye, which in this case is 100. The children
task it in turns guessing what number is required to multiply with the starting number
in order to get as close as possible to the target number. After five turns each, the
closest to the target is the winner. Select another set of numbers and play again.

Sample play Starting number Guess Answer

Jessica 23 x6 138
Simon 23 x4 92
Jessica 23 x5 115
Simon 23 x 4.5 103.5
Jessica 23 x 4.4 101.2
Simon 23 x 4.3 98.9
Etc

The same as

Students use a three digit number to explore making and rewriting it in a variety of
ways.

Materials required
MAB
Workbooks
Overhead MAB or magnetic MAB for modeling the activity.

Children can work alone or in pairs. Students list a three digit number in their book at
the top of a page and draft up three columns. They then make the number with MAB
and list the digits in the correct column on their table. They them remake the number
in as many different ways as is possible. The example below lists several ways.

342
Hundreds Tens Ones
3 4 2
2 14 2
3 0 42
0 34 2
1 0 242
Children need to see that 342 is the same as 2 hundreds and 14 tens and 2 ones.
Students need to be able to see beyond the extended notation thinking listed in lots of
books. [ 342 is 300 + 40 + 2. ] The three represents 3 hundreds not 300 ones.

Teacher Advice
Try using an overhead projector and overhead MAB materials to model this activity.
Children can then work with their own numbers and materials at their tables. When
children don’t have enough materials to exchange they can place the pieces in the
columns and image breaking it up. For example in the last example listed in the table
above you wouldn’t expect students to count out the 342v ones.

Build a cube [ 1000 ]

Use a MAB game to establish relationship between ones, tens, hundreds and
thousands.
Materials required
Two ten sided dice (per pair or group)
MAB Base 10 material

Organisation

Place children in pairs. Students need to be seated at cleared tables next to each other.

Students need to collect the following materials to share in their pairs. By placing
materials in the four corners iof the room students collect and return at the end of the
game. Perhaps drawing a bird’s eye view of how the tables need to be set up will help
with the organization.

Collect: Two ten sided dice

One MAB large cube.
10 hundreds,
20tens.
20 units
Teacher Advice

After students have collected the necessary materials model the game at one table
while the rest of the class gathers around to learn how to play the game. A good idea
is to model the activity with students who are likely to find the activity difficult or
they may be difficult to manage. That way you have this pair under way from the
start.

The game
Discuss and show the students how the thousand cube is built from units to tens to
hundreds.

Game Rules.
*Students take it in turns to roll two dice. The numbers are placed together to make a
2 digit number. He/she then collects that amount from the bank in the middle of the
table. For example if Player A rolls a 6 and a 4 he/she can make 64 or 46 and collect
the required amount from their bank.
*The dice are then passed to the partner who rolls and collects and adds to the one
total that is being built together. The students will need to exchange MAB often from
the bank and work as a team to build their number. The game continues this way until
a pair of students builds a block which is 1000.
* Whoever rolled the number, collects the MAB materials, exchanges when needed
and calls out the progressive total. The partner does not touch the materials but can
communicate and assist.
*As the total nears 1000 the aim is to be the person who hits exactly 1000. This will
require the students to decide if they want to roll one dice or both. If they roll both
and cannot make a 2 digit number to fit in the space left, they miss their turn.
Teacher advice
 Give out bonus points to students early in the session to help set a cooperative
working environment.
 Ensure that you rove the room and sit with each group.
 Make sure that the students are using the appropriate place value language.
 Each student gets their opportunity to do their own work.
Share and reflect
*Share time at the end of the session is vital. Discuss the base ten aspect of our
number system. Use the large cube to illustrate this.
*Invite children to close their eyes and imagine what 234 would look like. Select
other large numbers below 1 000 for children to imagine and describe to partners. If a
team was 899 what would they need to build the cube?

Adaptations

 Go the other way. Begin with the cube and break it down to see who hits zero
first. Must be exactly zero
 Simplify it by using removing the thousands and playing up to 100.
 Extend by playing the year and racing up and down using 3 dice. ie 2008

Place value paths

Students are provided with a visual / kinesthetic application to decimals, followed

by dice game that focuses on place value of decimals. Can be easily adapted to
whole number for earlier place value learning.

Materials
Metre ruler
Chalk
3 or 4 ten sided dice [ 0-9 ]
Game board
Small counter

 On asphalt mark out 1 metre spaces 0_______1m_________2m ……..5m

Select a student to stand at 0 and jump from a standing start. Mark their jump and
repeat for another 3 students. [ most students will jump betweem 1 and 2 metres. ]
Discuss with students that there is a need to have numbers that fit between
numbers to measure otherwise we cannot accurately measure. [all jumpers jumped
over 1m but less than 2m.]
 Measure the shortest jump. Show that 100cm =1m on the metre ruler. Child
A jumped 1m 32 cm. Write this next to the mark. Measure the next and
write it as a mixed number using common fractions. For example 147/100
m. Measure the next jump and write it in decimal notation. For example
1.86m.
Discuss how all three representations can be made for the one distance.

Tell students the decimal point shows where the whole metre ends (like a full stop)
and the parts start. 1.32=1whole metre and 32 hundredths [parts] of the next metre.
1m and 32 hundredths
In small groups all students measure their standing jump and record it as a decimal.
Try three jumps and note how much further or shorter jumps were in decimal
notation.

The game
Each student has a game board and pen.
In pairs students roll three 0-9 dice and make a number that is between 0 – 5m.
Place the counter amongst the dice to represent the decimal point. They then
decide where to write the number on their path between 0 – 5m. There are twelve
spaces to fill and the place that the number is put will determine where other
numbers are placed. If a number cannot placed the student misses a turn. The
objective of the game is to fill all spaces on their path before their partner fills all
spaces on his/her path. For example. A student rolls a 3, 2, 9. This student can
make the numbers 3.29m, 3.92m, 2.93m, 2.39m 0.923m etc. Student cannot make
the number 9.32m as the path ends at 5m. Students will need to make judgements
based on proportion and place value when considering the best place to write a
number.

Teacher Advice
Many students fail to understand decimals. Place value of decimals should be the
initial focus when introducing decimals to students. Relating decimals to
something such as measuring lengths, liquids,time etc will help make connections
for students.

Adaptations

Roll two dice and use tenths.

Roll four dice and make a number in thousandths. Capacity and liquids is great for
the introduction to understand a number such as 2.345 litres.
Use whole numbers and change the beginning and end numbers. Ie 10 – 100 / 250
-1000.
Simplify
Use whole numbers, 10 – 100
250 - 750