Place Value Digging

Overview

Students explore how each digit’s place determines its value using base-ten blocks and number sentences. This lesson starts the unit “Mastering Place Value Concepts” by building readiness for reading, writing, and comparing multi-digit numbers.

Learning intentions

• Students will be able to explain that in a multi-digit number, a digit’s value depends on its place.
• Students will be able to determine the value of a digit in the ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands places.
• Students will be able to represent numbers with base-ten blocks and match them to expanded form.
• Students will practice using base-ten language (ones, tens, hundreds) in math discourse.

Success criteria

• I can explain why a digit represents different amounts depending on its place.
• I can name the value of a digit in a given place (e.g., “the 4 in 4,063 is 4,000”).
• I can build a number with base-ten blocks and write an expanded-form representation.
• I can justify my answers during Turn and Talk using place value reasoning.

Curriculum links

• Number and Operations in Base Ten — multi-digit place value relationships (digit in one place is 10 times what it is in the place to its right, and 1/10 of what it is in the place to its left).
• Number and Operations in Base Ten — reading and writing numbers using expanded form.
• Number and Operations in Base Ten — explain and represent numbers using place value thinking.

Lesson structure (90 minutes)

1. 0–18 min · Warm-Up/Problem-Based Learning. Teacher shows 3 place-value cards on the Promethean Board: 6,342; 6,432; 6,342 (repeat with a changed digit prompt). Teacher asks: “In each number, what is the value of the digit 2? How do you know?” Turn and Talk: students discuss using “ones/tens/hundreds.” (DOK 1–2) Students write a quick answer and one sentence justification for each number.

2. 18–30 min · Visual Learning Bridge. Teacher models with base-ten blocks: one “thousands” flat, “hundreds” squares, “tens” rods, and “ones” cubes. Teacher builds 3,472 and asks: “What does the 4 mean here? What would it mean if it moved to the tens place?” (DOK 2) Students hold up corresponding block pieces when teacher calls out place-value terms.

3. 30–42 min · Direct Instruction (Place Value Rule). Teacher explicitly teaches the core idea: the value of a digit changes by a factor of 10 based on where it sits. Use a table on the board with a sample digit (e.g., digit 5 in ones, tens, hundreds). Students complete guided notes: “The 5 in ___ is worth ___.” (DOK 1–2)

4. 42–55 min · Guided Practice (Build & Explain). Teacher distributes place-value mats and a set of base-ten blocks (or uses shared kits). Whole group: teacher calls a number (choose 2–3 numbers) and students build with blocks, then write expanded form. (DOK 2) Students rotate between: build → point to blocks → say digit values aloud.

5. 55–70 min · Small Groups (Tiered Support + iReady/IXL). Teacher runs 3–4 small groups while others work independently on Chromebooks.

• Group A (At-Risk): concrete-only building (ones/tens/hundreds) with sentence frames.
• Group B (SpEd): fewer digits; focus on one place at a time; teacher-checkpoints every item.
• Group C (On-level/ELL-support): build and then match to expanded form cards; use vocabulary supports.
• Group D (Gifted): “digit swap” challenges (e.g., replace the 7 with a 1 and predict the change). Students complete targeted practice in iReady Tools for Instruction and/or IXL place value activities while teacher observes and records. (DOK 1–3)

6. 70–82 min · Independent Practice (Explain Digit Value). Students work at desks on 6 problems:

• Identify the value of a digit in a specified place (ones/tens/hundreds).
• Build-to-match: choose the correct expanded form for a block build.
• One “compare” prompt: “Which number is greater and why?” using place value language. (DOK 2–3) Students answer in complete sentences for the last two prompts.

7. 82–90 min · Assess, Differentiate, Exit Ticket. Teacher collects an exit ticket with 3 items:

1. “In 5,209, what is the value of the 2?”
2. “Build 4,306 with blocks. What is the value of the 3?”
3. “Write expanded form: 7,015.” Students rate confidence 1–4 and submit. Teacher uses observation + exit ticket to plan the next lesson. (DOK 1–3)

Resources

• Base-ten blocks (individual kits or desk sets) including thousands flats if available
• Place-value mats (ones/tens/hundreds/thousands columns)
• Digit-value recording sheets and expanded-form cards
• Promethean Board slides with number cards and block models
• Chromebooks with iReady Tools for Instruction and/or IXL practice
• Small-group recording clipboard and timing tracker
• Student workbook pages (assigned homework: specific practice page and problem set from your adopted workbook)
• Sentence frames for ELL/SpEd support

Assessment

• Teacher observation notes during Turn and Talk (use a checklist for accurate place-value language)
• Guided practice checks: “Show me the ones/tens/hundreds” and “What is that digit worth?”
• Exit ticket (3 questions) + student confidence rating (1–4)

Differentiation

• Special Education (SpEd): Provide a reduced-digit set (focus on up to hundreds first), color-code place-value columns, and allow manipulatives for every item; use step-by-step teacher prompts (“Which column is the digit in?”).
• English Language Learners (ELL): Pre-teach words (ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, value). Offer sentence frames: “The ___ is in the ___ place, so it means ___.” Provide a word bank on mats.
• Gifted learners: Add a “digit swap” extension inside the small group (predict how the total changes when one digit moves to another place). Require justification using place value reasoning (not just the answer). (DOK 3)
• At-Risk learners: Use a concrete-to-representational sequence: build with blocks → trace expanded form on a template → then write independently. Provide immediate corrective feedback and one re-teach cycle during guided practice.

Homework

• From the student practice workbook: complete the assigned page and problem set that matches today’s focus on digit value in ones/tens/hundreds and expanded form (teacher selects the exact page number in the workbook for your class).