This document provides an overview of a 24-day unit on place value for third grade students. The unit covers place values through 999,999, comparing and ordering numbers, and rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000. Each day focuses on an essential question and includes activating strategies, teaching strategies, and student activities. Formative and summative assessments are used throughout the unit. Literature and online resources are also listed to support instruction.

1. Place Value Unit
Aug. 23-27 Pre Test/place values through 999,999
Aug. 30-Sept. 3 place values through 999,999/comparing numbers
Sept. 7-10 (4 day wk) comparing and ordering numbers
Sept. 13-17 Rounding
Sept. 20-24 rounding/Test
Pacing: 24 days
Unit EQ: Why is place value important?
Standard 3-1: The student will understand and utilize the mathematical processes of problem solving,
reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representation.
Standard 3-2: The student will demonstrate through the mathematical processes an understanding of the
representation of whole numbers and fractional parts; the addition and subtraction of whole numbers;
accurate, efficient, and generalizable methods of multiplying whole numbers; and the relationships
among multiplication, division, and related basic facts.
Indicator(s): 3-2.1 Compare whole-number quantities through 999,999 by using
the terms is less than, is greater than, and is equal to and the
symbols<,>,=.
3-2.2 Represent in word form whole numbers through nine
hundred ninety-nine thousand.
3-2.4 Apply procedures to round any whole number to the nearest
10, 100, 1,000.
3-2.12 Analyze the magnitude of digits through 999,999 on
the basis of their place value.
Literature
Schwartz, David M. (1985) How Much is a Million?
Lexile Level – AD760L ISBN - 0590436147
McKissack, Patricia C. (1992) A Million Fish…More or Less
Lexile Level – 690L ISBN – 067980692X
What Comes in 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s? by Suzanne Aker
How Much, How Many, How Far, How Heavy, How Long, How Tall is 1,000? by Helen Nolan
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole
Earth Day Hooray! By Stuart J. Murphy
Max Malone Makes a Million by Charlotte Herman
Zero: Is It Something? IS It Nothing? by Claudia Zaslavsky

2. United Streaming
Math Investigations – Part 1 (segment 4 “Bison” Place Value)
Math Monsters: Patterns (15 min)
Internet Sites
http://www.oswego.org/ocsd-web/match/dragflip.asp?filename=ccarrollorder
http://www.quia.com/jg/279741.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/maths/activities/thenumbersystem.shtml
http://education.jlab.org/placevalue/index.html
http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/maths/mc/qw3.htm
http://www.funbrain.com/tens/index.html
http://www.quia.com/jg/279741.html
http://education.jlab.org/placevalue/index.html
http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/maths/mc/qw3.htm
http://tlsbooks.com/round10000.htm (worksheet)
http://www.geocities.com/~harveyh/miscnum.htm (palindromes)
http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/math/patterns/number.html
http://www.edhelper.com/math/number_patterns_sg30.htm (worksheet)
http://funbrain.com/cracker/index.html (Interactive)
http://library.thinkquest.org.CRO213184/number.htm (Interactive)
http://scwcb4free.com/patt2.htm (Function Table)
Unit Vocabulary
Place value Digit Value
Standard form Word form Expanded form
Period Compare Less than
Greater than Equal to Number line
Round Estimate Numeral
Unit Activating Strategy
Students make flash cards with the numbers 1-20 on one side and the words on the other to take home
and study. Play the game, “I Am the Greatest” – Students create the greatest and least numbers possible
with playing cards.
Unit Culminating Strategy
“Number Riddles” - A popular activity to practice, review and gain a quick oral assessment (or written) of
student comprehension of place value. Examples include “When rounded by hundreds I will be 500, I am
greater than (>) 450, my tens digit is 8 and I can be reached counting by fives but not by tens. What
number am I?” “I am a four digit odd number greater than (>) 4,600, and my digits include a 2,4,6,7.
What number am I? These riddles can be narrowed to assess particular skills.

3. Lessons (Place Values through 999,999) 8 days
Standards: 3-2.2, 3-2.12
EQ: What are the place values through 100?
AS: Discuss that every number is made up of digits from 0-9. All digits in numbers have a place value. Ask
students what place values they can recall. Teach the “Hundreds, Tens, Ones” song. (Use “Place Value
Chart and Song” flipchart)
TS: Model how to find the value of underlined numbers. Show a hundreds chart and practice writing and
reading numbers with hundreds chart. Introduce the terms standard form, word form.
SS: Students use marsh mellows and fruit loops to practice place value through the hundreds.
EQ: What are the place values through 1,000?
AS: Ask students to recall the base 10 blocks.
TS: Compass 20236 (Place Value Blocks) View the “Place Value Introduction Story” flipchart. Distribute base
10 blocks and have students practice making numbers with their blocks. Have students make numbers
different ways with the base 10 blocks. Explain the difference between naming the place value and giving
the value of a place.
SS: Students complete place value problems on the promethean board. Collect for a grade.
EQ: What are the place values through 1,000?
AS: Introduce lesson with riddles. (Ex. I am a 3 digit number. I used to be the number 346, but if you switch
the numbers in my 1’s and 10’s place, you know what number I am.)
TS: Play the game “Go, go, go.” The class is divided into 2 teams. Each student is given a digit card (0-9).
On the floor are Place Cards (ones through thousands or beyond). Teacher will call out a number (e.g.,
2,369) Students with the correct digit card rush to stand in the proper place to show their number. The
team that correctly creates the number first earns a point for the team.
SS: Play “I Have, Who Has?”
EQ: What are the place values through 10,000 and 100,000?
AS: 5 minute check (pg. 28A in TE)
TS: Compass 3B007 (Place value through 100,000) Model how to identify place values through the 100,000’s
and how to write the value of a digit in a number. Have students make a place value chart. Call out
Mystery #’s. Call out digits and places (I have a three in my ones place…) Practice reading numbers. How
much is each digit worth?
SS: Students work with a partner writing numbers with an underlined place value. Partners write the place
value and then write what the digit is worth on their white boards.
EQ: How do you read and write numbers through the 100,000’s?
AS: Compass 3B001
TS: Model how to lump numbers to read and write them in standard form and word form. Students use their
number word lists to make sure they spell the words correctly. They practice writing words in standard form
and standard form in words on their white boards. Have them play concentration
SS: Quiz
EQ: How do you read and write numbers through the 100,000’s?
AS: Brainstorm with the students all of the places in the real world where you would see numbers written as
words.
TS: Offer to buy something from a student for a large amount of money. Write a check to that student. On
projector, look at what a real check looks like. What do they observe? Discuss the importance of learning
to read/write numbers. Tell them it is now their turn to go shopping. I have a lot for sale! Model check
writing again then let them shop!
SS: Concentration

4. EQ: How do you write numbers in expanded form?
AS: Show students several numbers and ask them to identify the underlined place value of the digit and
write its worth. Check. Brainstorm thoughts about the word expand. What other words come to mind?
TS: Discuss that expanded form means stretching out the number to show the value of each digit. Model
how to convert numbers from standard form to expanded form and vice versa using a place value chart.
Start with small numbers and work up to larger digits. Compass 34130.
SS: Students complete page 29 (7-12)
EQ: How do you write numbers in expanded form?
AS: Review writing numbers in expanded form.
TS: Introduce 3 Rolls game. Students work with a partner to make the largest number.
SS: Introduce HW and begin working on it.
HW: Pg. 30 (12-32)
Lessons (Comparing and Ordering Numbers) 5 days
Standard: 3-2.1
EQ: How do you compare numbers?
AS: Ask students what it means to compare two things. Discuss examples.
TS: “Ally Gator” flipchart.
SS: Students complete Alligator Comparison sheet.
EQ: How do you compare numbers?
AS: Ask students why comparing numbers might be important? (Shopping) Review how the Gator eats the
greater number.
TS: Model how to use Base 10 blocks to compare numbers with the “Comparing Numbers Base 10”
powerpoint. Compass 34135
SS: Compass 34135
EQ: How do you compare numbers?
AS: Quick check on the board. Go over as a class.
TS: Students work in partner groups to play “Who’s Greater, Who’s Least?”
SS: Informal assessment on an index card.
EQ: How do you put numbers in order?
AS: Have students think about receiving three amounts of money. How would they determine which is the
most?
TS: Model how to compare numbers by lining them up on top of each other starting from the 1’s place.
Direct students to use a place value chart to help. Students use their white boards to practice.
SS: Each student writes down 5 numbers on a piece of paper and trades with a partner who will put them
in order from least to greatest.
EQ: How do you put numbers in order?
AS: “Close, Far, and In Between” activity. Using three numbers as referents, ask which two are closest,
closest to a number, name a number between, ___ and ___.
TS: 1) Review ordering multiple numbers using the strategy learned yesterday. 2) Students use pre made
number cards to play war. Each student will draw three cards. The first student to order their three numbers
correctly wins a point. Play to 10 points and repeat.
SS:
Challenge students put all the numbers in the deck in order from greatest to least.
Spiral Review Day
Quiz

5. Lessons (Rounding Numbers) 6 days
Standard: 3-2.4
EQ: What strategies can you use to round to the nearest 10?
AS: Discuss that rounding is used to help estimate numbers. Ask students if they know what estimating is
and why it is important? Give some examples: shopping at the grocery store, adding large sums quickly in
your head.
TS: Watch the United Streaming Video, “The Rounding Machine.” Introduce the concept of rounding with
the “Rounding the Mountain” flipchart. Guide students in discussing what would happen to the car if the
number ended in 0-4 or 5-9? Practice rounding numbers using the mountain. Teach the “Rounding Round
Up” song and introduce the CUBA method. Make sure to list strategies on the board.
SS: Students choose a method and practice rounding numbers to the nearest 10.
EQ: What strategies can you use to round to the nearest 100?
AS: Students turn and talk to a partner about the strategy they liked best to help them round and show
their partner how to do it. Review the Rounding song.
TS: Review how to round to using the CUBA method. Students practice rounding numbers to the nearest
100 on their white boards. Students work with a partner to play Rounding War. Each student turns over a
card and rounds their number to the nearest hundred. Whoever has the greater number wins both cards.
The student with all the cards at the end of the game wins.
SS: Students do a few problems on the board to collect for an easy grade.
EQ: What strategies can you use to round to the nearest 1,000?
AS: Review the Rounding song.
TS: Review how to round using the CUBA method. Students practice rounding numbers to the nearest
1,000. Students work with a partner. They write a number their own numbers and exchange with a partner
to round them to the nearest 1,000. Work with students who still don’t understand concept.
SS: Students complete (1-8) on page 50.
HW: Page 50 (9-26)
EQ: What strategies can you use to round to the nearest 10, 100, or 1,000?
AS: Review the rounding song.
TS: Review rounding to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000 on the promethean board until students are pretty
comfortable with it. Play Bingo. Have students fill in a board with 10’s, 100’s, or 1,000’s numbers or give
them premade Bingo cards. Call out a number and if students have a number on their board that rounds
to that number, have them mark it off.
EQ: What strategies can you use to round to the nearest 10, 100, or 1,000?
AS: Show students a hundreds number and ask them to round it to the nearest 10.
TS: Model how to round to the underlined digit. Keep practicing until students seem comfortable with it.
SS: Students complete a few problems independently.
EQ: What strategies can you use to round to the nearest 10, 100, or 1,000?
AS: Review how to round to the underlined digit.
TS: Break the class into two teams and have a Rounding Relay.
HW: Review sheet
Review Days
Using the Eggsperts, review as a class with Jeopardy.
Go over Review sheet and make sure students understand concepts and answer any questions.

6. Poems and Songs
Rounding Rhyme
Mark the place
Circle the right
4 or less
is out of sight
5 or more
Will buy one more
Before they too
Are out the door
In those empty right hand spaces
Zeros keep the proper places.