Let’s Find Our Place!
Name: Shante Womack
Date: September 16, 2009
Grade Level: 3rd
Lesson Source: “A Place for Zero: A Math Adventure” by Angeline Sparagna, and MATH
Practice Workbook by Scott Foresman and Addison Wesley
Group Characteristics: This will be taught to 26 students that sit in six groups. There
are 13 girls and 13 boys. Three students have special needs. Two of these are boys and
one is a girl.
Arizona Math Standard(s) Addressed:
M03-S1C1-01. Express whole numbers through six digits using and connecting multiple
representations.
M03-S1C2-02. Compare and order whole numbers through six digits by applying the
concept of place value.
Process Integration Objective(s):
M03-S5C2-05. Represent a problem situation using any combination of words, numbers,
pictures, physical objects, or symbols.
Student Objectives: Introduce students to the relationship between numbers and place
values through 1,000. Students will be able to recognize place value and express what
this is orally and in written form.
Mathematical Vocabulary:
Place Value: the value given to the place a digit has in a number.
Digit: a symbol used to show a numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
Expanded Form: a way to write a number that shows the place value of each digit.
Standard Form: a way to write a number that shows only digits.
Word Name: a way to show a number using words rather than numbers.
Materials: Place Value Three-Dimensional Models, “A Place for Zero: A Math
Adventure” by Angeline Sparagna, sheet of paper, a writing utensil, worksheet(s) on
basic place value, index cards with the digits 0 through 9 labeled on them separately,
chalk board, chalk, overhead projector, screen, overhead copy of the worksheet(s),
overhead markers, pointer, and their MATH Practice Workbook.
Children’s Literature Book: “A Place for Zero: A Math Adventure” by Angeline
Sparagna
Description: As zero searches to find his place, he learns of his additive and
multiplicative identities, and then establishes place value.
Task:
Number One: What is the largest/greatest number that you can create when digits are
randomly pulled from a pile of index cards labeled individually from 0 through 9 and you
are only given four slots to place the digits in? (You are not allowed to erase a digit once
it is placed into a slot.)
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Number Two: What is the lowest/least number that you can create when digits are
randomly pulled from a pile of index cards labeled individually from 0 through 9 and you
are only given four slots to place the digits in? (You are not allowed to erase a digit once
it is placed into a slot.)
Lesson:
Introduction/Connections to Prior Knowledge:
Today we are going to be working with Place Values.
Access prior knowledge and build background:
Have a place value chart created on the chalkboard before you start the discussion. Draw
a column for ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands with the proper labels. Ask the students,
Who can tell me what place value means? Give the definition of Place Value. Show an
example on the chalkboard with several numbers. Show the different digits in different
columns. Discuss Place Value by using the chart on the chalkboard. Make sure to go over
and model all vocabulary words with an example on the chalkboard.
Introduce the book: I am going to read a book called “A Place for Zero: A Math
Adventure” by Angeline Sparagna. Before reading ask the questions below and have
student discuss each:
1) What do you think he book is going to be about?
2) Why do you think the title is “A Place for Zero?”
3) Do you think that Zero will find his place?
4) Where do you think Zero’s place is?
Read the book. Stop reading a various points to discuss the different place values that are
discussed in the book. Also, answer any questions that the students may have and allow
appropriate dialogue.
Explore a task/activity:
First reopen a discussion about place value. Tell them what each column on the board is
and the definition of a digit. Then write some numbers on the board in the columns and
have a student first read the number and then tell you the place value of each number.
After several students are able to tell you the place value of their number on the
chalkboard show them what place value looks like with the Place Value ThreeDimensional Blocks.
Explain task: Today we are going to play a game that will help you understand place
value through the one thousands.
Have the students take out a piece of paper. On the paper, have them make four dashes
with a comma between the first dash from the left side of the paper and the second dash
to represent a thousand. Model an example on the board.
Example: _____ , _____ _____ _____
Then from your set of pre-made index cards that have the digits 0 through 9 labeled on
them separately, randomly pull a number from the set. Have the students write the
number in one of the columns. At first they are trying to create the highest number
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possible. Please explain that once they write a digit in an available place it can NOT be
erased. (You may want the students to use a pen for this activity.) Also, explain that this
is an individual activity (at first) so they are NOT to look at their neighbor’s paper.
Continue to pull three more digits so that the number can be completed. Have some
students share what numbers they came up with. When the highest number is found, write
it on the chalkboard and have the students tell you the place value of each digit. This can
be repeated as necessary and should be done at least twice.
Now have the students create the smallest/lowest/least number possible only this time it
will be done with a partner. Assign them partners and hand one of the partners a set of
index cards. The ones with the cards will be the first be the person to pull the cards while
the other partner writes down the least number possible. After this has been done three
times the students will switch roles. Have the students share what numbers they created.
Write some of the numbers on the chalkboard and show the place value of each digit.
Key questions:
1. Why did you place the digits in the chosen place values?
2. What was your thought process while creating this number?
3. What strategies were used to figure out how to make the greatest number?
4. Did you ever want to erase a digit? If so why and where did you want to move it
and why?
5. Would your thought process and strategies change if we were trying to create the
smallest/lowest/ or least number possible? If yes, how so?
6. How does place value help you understand numbers?
Processing/Summary/Final Discussion
Remember to ask the key questions to hold a discussion after the greatest number is
found and then again for the least number.
After you feel as though the students have an understanding of what place value is, have
them work on the worksheet found on pages 15 and 16 in their MATH Practice
Workbook.
Closure: Go over the worksheet on the overhead after allowing the students ten minutes
to work on it. Call on different students to give you the answers and make sure to model
all problems on the board.
End with a discussion with the students about place value. Ask them: What did we learn
about today? Have them tell you the math vocabulary definitions. (If time allows have
them add these definitions to their math glossaries.) And model a way to represent some
numbers on the board one last time.
Differentiation Strategies:
1. Create a place value flip chart to help them better understand place value and
use while working on their worksheets.
2. Have the students work in a group to create numbers and tell what numbers
they came up with.
3. If students struggle, I will scaffold for them by having them by first creating
numbers that fall into the tens, followed by hundreds, and lastly thousands.
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4. If students need an extra challenge, I will have them help a student that has
not grasp the concept yet or have them create higher numbers with more
digits.
5. Have the students create numbers through the hundred thousands.
6. Have the students create the numbers that they made with the place value
blocks.
Assessment/Evaluation:
1. Monitor oral responses of place values on the chalkboard.
2. Monitor written responses while working individually and then with partners.
3. Keep anecdotal records of what work was actually understood and what
concepts needed to be explained or modeled more.
4. Analyze worksheets of number of problems correct on their worksheets.
5. Have the students complete pages 15 and 16 in their workbooks for a grade.
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Reflection/Analysis:
I feel as though this lesson went very well for it being my very first lesson that I
taught in a classroom. The main task of the lesson was for the students to understand
place value through a game that allowed them to crate and separate place value and then
with a worksheet. The lesson started off well. The students were able to give me their
ideas of what place value was and understood the definition given to them. They were
attentive and responsive during the reading of the book and able to understand place
value even more through the literature. I believe that the book enhanced their learning
because it was referred to when we did our lesson and the students were able to connect
the book with the tasks. This is why I believe that the role of the story not only helped the
students understand the concept but also allowed them to see place value in a different
format.
During the game students were engaged and really enjoyed the activity. One thing
that I did was having the students use their red correcting pen to make sure that none of
the numbers would be erased. The students did better on the second round and were
excited to be able to do this with their assigned partners. I also enjoyed how when they
shared the numbers that they created they were able to answer the key questions and
explain their thought process. They were also able to identify which number belonged in
which place value spot on the board.
Something that did not go well with the game was the fact that some students
were confused with the directions. It was not clear to them that the partner pulling the
cards was not writing the least number as well. Only the partners without cards were
creating numbers. Another thing that was not clear to some students was the fact that they
switched roles after the first partner had three chances to create numbers. If I were to do
this activity again, I would have modeled the instructions with their teacher before I let
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them begin. Another interesting thing that happened in the whole group when we first
began was that students were places commas between each dash on their papers even
though this was modeled on the board. Because of this I wrote an example on the board
without the dashes but with commas in between each number (but read it correctly) and
this gave the students a better understanding of what we were going to do. Students also
did well on the first side of the worksheet but not so well on the backside. Because of this
I decided to do the backside of the worksheet on the overhead projector using the pointer,
three-dimensional models, and having the students answer the questions together. I made
sure to go over and not only explain but model each correct answer to give them a better
understanding. The participation/engagement of the students and the more correct
answers that were received provided me with the fact that they were thinking
mathematically and understanding the concept of place value. I believe that this was hard
because the material was presented in a different format and the wording of the directions
in the workbook was confusing. On the front side of the worksheet I modeled an example
of each problem which is why they were able to complete it on their own but the back
side I was originally going to use for assessment and did not model.
During the game I made sure to ask the key questions, which gave me a better
understanding of how the students were thinking mathematically. For example, when we
were creating the highest number possible with random digits, I asked one of the students
to explain how he got his answer. He told me that since he was trying to create the
highest number possible that he would place low numbers on the right side and then
higher numbers on the left. I then asked him how did he know which dash to place the in
and he told me that if there were a possible higher number he would leave the first dash
blank and if their were a possible lower number then he would leave the last dash blank.
This showed me that not only was he thinking mathematically but also that he understood
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what he was supposed to be doing. I then asked him to tell me the place value of each
digit and he was able to do so which showed me that he understood place value. I believe
having the students do the game first on their own and then with a partner helped them
get a better understanding of place value. If I could have done this differently or again I
would have had the students first create the highest number individually, then the lowest
number individually, and then have them create the highest and lowest numbers with a
partner. I feel as though this would have provided a model for instruction and given them
an even deeper understanding of the tasks.
The teacher was very supportive during the lesson. She would repeat the
instructions out loud for the students. She walked around and helped them with their
worksheets and she even participated in the game with one of the students that have
special needs. I did appreciate how if a student had a question, that she would direct them
to me because this allowed me to be fully engaged in my lesson and experience how the
students were thinking and then see what they needed help with.
My closing discussion provided me with the evidence that the students did learn
about place value. The fact that they were able to explain the numbers that they created,
why they created them that way, and then the place value of each digit not only in their
own numbers but their peers as well allowed me to see that they have accomplished the
tasks. I would like to do a follow up activity where the students create their own place
value flip chart and would have first create numbers, then write down the place value of
each number. I believe that this will help the students further learn about place value
because it not only a visual aid but also can serve as a manipulative as well.
Overall, I feel as though my lesson went very well because the students learned
the concept, were engaged, participated, and seemed to have fun!
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