[iPeach]

Place value will definitely be on our state tests next week. We haven't done it for awhile although we have been reviewing it for morning work now and again. Does anyone have a fun activity for place value? It's such a hard concept to really grasp. We have been reviewing- mainly using worksheets and booklets, because it's the testing model! I'm starting to get slap happy with the worksheet reviewing; I can't imagine how the kids feel. Any ideas are appreciated.

[ConnieWI]

Go to www.mathwire.com. I bet you will find some good place value games there. (Actually, I already did it for you!!)
http://www.mathwire.com/games/pvgames.html (games)
http://www.mathwire.com/numbersense/placevalue.html (activities)
http://www.mathwire.com/numbersense/morepv.html (more activities)
http://www.mathwire.com/problemsolving/probs34.html
(problem solving - place value)

My kids love this game:
--The object of this game is to create the largest/smallest number. This should be determined before play begins.
--Give a deck of playing cards to groups of two students. Take out the kings, queens, jacks, tens, and jokers. Aces will stand for one.
--Give each child a gameboard...across the top of the gameboard it says millions, hundred thousands, ten thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens, ones.
--Put these headings in columns...one row going across for the headings, two additional rows going across for the student's cards. (If you use two pieces of 8 1/2" by 11" paper, you can make the headings on the computer. Then lay the two pieces of paper next to each other.)
--Shuffle the deck. Child one draws a card and places it in one of the columns in row two. Child two draws a card and places it in one of the columns in row three. Students continue drawing cards until they have built a number.
--If the goal of the game is to build the largest number, the child with the largest number says it. If the child says it correctly, he/she is the winner. If not, child two says his/her number. If correct, he/she is the winner. If neither child says their number correctly, the game begins again.

My students also love "The Secret Number Game." It is played like this:
--Place lines on the board or have your students put them on their whiteboards. Then give the clues. (You can also make these on paper. Kids even love to write them, teacher can type them, and they can be given to the whole class.)

____ ____ , ____ ____ ____
The digit in the thousands place is the number of tentacles on an octopus.
The digit in the ones place is the number of legs on a dog.
The digit in the hundreds place is the number of arms on a starfish.
The digit in the thousands place is the sum of 6 + 2.
The digit in the tens place is the difference of 18-9.
What is my secret number?
Say it!!

[iPeach]

Thanks for the ideas. Connie, I copied your idea of, "The Secret Number Game" and made some more of the same, if anyone is interested.

The digit in the ones place is the number of sides a quadrilateral has.
The digit in the hundred thousands place is the product of 2 and 3.
The number in the thousands place is the difference of 10-5.
The number in the tens place is the number of the continents on Earth.
The digit in the hundreds place is 6x8x0.
The digit in the ten thousands place is the sum of 5 + 2.
What is my secret number?
Say it!!


The digit in the ones place is the number of planets in the Solar System (be careful!)
The digit in the hundreds place is the number of oceans on Earth.
The digit in the tens place in the product of 9 x 1.
The digit in the thousands place is the number of angles in a triangle.
The digit in the ten thousands place is the number of shoes on your feet!
The digit in the hundred thousands place is the number of cardinal directions on a Compass Rose.

The digit in the ten thousands place is the number of weekly spelling words you get divided by 5.
The digit in the ones place is the difference of 100 – 95.
The digit in the hundreds place is the number of months in the year divided by 2.
The digit in the tens place is the number of tires on a unicycle.
The digit in the thousands place is the number of times we go to PE in a week.

The digit in the hundreds place is the number of days in a weekend.
The digit in the ones place is the number of hamburger buns in a package. (8 usually)
The digit in the tens place is the number of sides a pentagon has.
The digit in the thousands place is the number of faces a cube has.
The digit in the ten thousands place is the number of faces a sphere has. (Be careful!)
The digit in the hundred thousands place is the number which means, “duo.”

The number in the hundreds place is the number of players on a basketball court in regular play. (5 players)
The number in the ten thousands place is the number of vowels in the alphabet (not including ‘y’.)
The number in the ones place is the number of moons Earth has.
The number in the thousands place is the number of legs on an arachnid.
The number in the tens place is the smallest number of minerals a rock can have.
The number in the hundred thousands place is the difference of 16 – 7.

The number in the thousands place is the sum of 3 + 3.
The number in the ten thousands place is the quotient of 14 divided by 7.
The number in the ones place is the number of strikes a baseball player can get before he/she is out.
The number in the hundreds place is the difference of 13 – 8.
The number in the tens place is the number of corners on a rectangle.

[ConnieWI]

iPeach...your students will love these...and you will find this activity goes a long way to understanding place value! Also, you are reviewing so many other math areas...geometry, vocabulary, computation, and the list could go on!

Have fun with this activity!!

[AmyH]

Thanks IPeach -- what great clues! Many of my kids will that up as a challenge!

[cdixon]

Connie & iPeach! What great ideas to review with the students : )

[mbh]

I love this site and I love the way everyone is willing to share. Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!