Expectations:

Number Sense:

B1.2 compare and order whole numbers up to and including 10 000, in various contexts

Big Ideas:

• The place value system we use is built on patterns to make our work with numbers efficient

• Students gain a sense of the size of numbers by comparing them to meaningful benchmark numbers.

key concepts

• Numbers are compared and ordered according to their “how muchness” or magnitude.

• Benchmark numbers can be used to compare quantities. For example, 4132 is less than 5000 and 6200 is greater than 5000, so 4132 is less than 6200.

Source: Small, M. Open Questions The Three Part lesson. Grades 4-8. Number Sense and Numeration. Pg. 14

Student Handout

1. Choose four digits between 1 and 9. Create as many four-digit numbers as you can using only these digits. Then, order the numbers from least to greatest.

Sample Response

I Chose 1, 2, 4, and 8. My order is 1248, 1284, 1428, 1482, 1824, 1842, 2148, 2184, 2418, 2481, 2814, 2814, 4128, 4182, 4218, 4281, 4812, 4821, 8124, 8142, 8214, 8241, 8412, 8421.

2. Use the digits 0 to 9 to fill in the blanks. Use each digit only once. Order the numbers from least to greatest. Try it three or more different ways.

__2 8 __ ___ 3 4 ___ ___ 9__ __8 ___ 2 4 1 __ __

Sample Response

128, 2034, 3495, 4189, 6872 or 428, 4123, 5634, 7098, 9812

Source: Small, M. Open Questions The Three Part lesson. Grades 4-8. Number Sense and Numeration. Pg. 15

Discuss the following question as a whole class:

A number that contains the digits 2 and 5 is greater than a number with digits 7, 8, and 9. How is that possible?

Sample Response

It is possible if that number with 2 and 5 has more digits (e.g. 2105 compared to 789) OR It is also possible if the number with 2 and 5 is the whole number but the one with 7, 8, and 9 is a decimal less than 10, such as 7.89. OR it is possible if the 7,8,9 are on the right of one number, but 2 and 5 are on the left of the other number (e.g. 2500 compared to 1789).