Decimal Beginnings

Overview

In this lesson (7 of 12), students connect fractions to decimals using place-value blocks, number lines, and hundred chart visuals. They learn what tenths and hundredths look like and how they compare.

Learning intentions

• Students will recognise that decimals can represent parts of a whole.
• Students will model and explain tenths and hundredths using materials and diagrams.
• Students will relate fraction notation (with denominators of 10 and 100) to decimal notation.
• Students will order decimals (to two decimal places) and justify comparisons using visuals.

Success criteria

• I can represent 0.1 (one tenth) and 0.01 (one hundredth) using place-value tools.
• I can write decimals for shaded parts and match them to equivalent fractions.
• I can locate tenths and hundredths on a number line or hundred chart.
• I can compare decimals (e.g., 0.3 and 0.35) using place value.

Curriculum links

• Number and place value: understanding decimals as tenths and hundredths and their relationship to whole numbers.
• Fractions: connecting fractions to decimal representations and explaining equivalence (especially with denominators of 10 and 100).
• Using efficient strategies for comparing and ordering numbers using place value.

Lesson structure (45 minutes)

1. 0–5 min: Hook and recall

• Display a simple fraction strip marked in tenths and ask: “If this is one whole, what fraction is one small part?”
• Briefly recap: denominators of 10 and 100 help us see “how many equal parts”.

2. 5–12 min: Whole-class model—tenths

• Show a 10-part strip or place-value base-ten blocks (one flat = 1, rods = tenths).
• Ask students to shade 1 part out of 10 and represent it as 1/10, then as 0.1.
• Key idea to emphasise: the first digit after the decimal point is the number of tenths.

3. 12–20 min: Guided task—moving to hundredths

• Use a 100 grid or a hundred-squares model. Demonstrate splitting one tenth into 10 equal parts to make hundredths.
• Shade 1 hundredth and show 1/100 = 0.01. Then shade 3 hundredths and show 3/100 = 0.03.
• Students repeat with guided prompts: “How many hundredths are shaded? What decimal shows that?”

4. 20–30 min: Partner activity—match, write, explain

• Provide cards showing (a) shaded visuals (tenths/hundredths), (b) fraction forms (e.g., 3/10, 27/100), and (c) decimal forms (e.g., 0.3, 0.27).
• In pairs, students match visual ↔ fraction ↔ decimal and write a short justification: “I know because each tenth is split into ten hundredths…”
• Teacher circulates, listening for correct place-value language (tenths = first place; hundredths = second place).

5. 30–38 min: Number line/ordering game

• Give each group an empty number line (0 to 1) with major ticks (0.1 steps) and minor ticks (0.01 steps optional depending on readiness).
• Call out 2–3 decimals; students place them or select the correct order cards (e.g., 0.35, 0.3, 0.32).
• Students explain one comparison using place value: “0.35 has 3 tenths and 5 hundredths, so it is larger than 0.3.”

6. 38–45 min: Exit ticket and reflection

• Individually, students answer two quick prompts:
• Shade or describe: “Represent 0.2 and 0.07 using a model.”
• Write the decimal that matches a given shaded part (one tenth-only and one hundredths-included example).
• Students share one strategy for comparing decimals.

Resources

• Fraction strips divided into 10 equal parts
• Hundred grids (10×10) or printable 100 charts
• Base-ten place-value blocks for decimals (flats/rods if available)
• Centimetre-style “decimals” strips or equivalent cut-outs (10 parts and 100 parts)
• Shading templates and pencils/markers
• Matching card set (visuals, fractions with 10/100 denominators, decimals to two places)
• Number line templates (0 to 1) with 0.1 and optional 0.01 ticks
• Exit ticket slips and teacher checklist
• Student whiteboards (optional) for quick decimal comparisons

Assessment

• Teacher observation during partner matching: correct linking of tenths/hundredths to decimal notation.
• Exit ticket: write decimals from shaded representations and explain one comparison using place value.
• Listening checks during ordering game: whether students justify using tenths/hundredths rather than guessing.

Differentiation

• Support
• Provide sentence starters: “The first digit is the number of ____.” “Because each tenth is split into ____ hundredths…”
• Use fewer decimals on ordering tasks (e.g., only one-digit tenths at first) before adding hundredths.
• Offer models with clearly numbered grids and pre-coloured examples.
• Extension
• Use decimals like 0.40 and 0.41 to discuss why zeros matter (showing 4 tenths and 0 hundredths).
• Challenge students to create their own shaded model for a chosen decimal (to two decimal places) and swap with a partner to decode.
• EAL / additional language support
• Keep vocabulary consistent on display: decimal point, tenths, hundredths, equal parts, compare.
• Allow verbal or pictorial explanations alongside written answers.
• SEN / learning support
• Reduce cognitive load by limiting choices to 3–4 cards and using matching first (visual to decimal) before writing.
• Provide extra time for manipulating hundred grids and repeat demonstrations.