Home›Lesson Plans›Mathematics›Number & Operations in Base Ten · Grade 4

Place Value: Why a 3 Can Mean Three, Thirty, or Three Thousand

Students build multi-digit numbers with base-ten blocks and discover that where a digit sits decides how much it is really worth.

Grade 4Place Value45 minutes1 class periodGradual ReleaseExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain that a digit’s value depends on its place.
  • ✓Build numbers to the thousands with base-ten blocks.
  • ✓Write numbers in expanded form.
  • ✓Explain that each place is ten times the place to its right.
Essential Question

The digit 3 shows up in 3, 30, and 3,000 — but it means something different each time. What gives a digit its value?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Model · Interactive Tool

The Place Value Builder

Project this and build any number to the thousands. Change each place and watch the number, the expanded form, and the base-ten blocks update together.

🔢 Build a number — set each placeTry it
0
Thousands3
Hundreds4
Tens2
Ones5

The Lesson · Gradual Release (I Do · We Do · You Do)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Launch — Three Different 3s

5 min

3, 30, 3,000 — same digit, different worth.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write 3, 30, and 3,000 on the board.
  • Ask why the 3 is worth different amounts.
  • Set the goal: place decides value.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare the three numbers.
  • Predict which 3 is worth most.
  • Guess what “place value” means.
2

I Do — Build 3,425

10 min

Teacher builds a number with blocks.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Build 3,425 with base-ten blocks.
  • Write expanded form: 3,000 + 400 + 20 + 5.
  • Name each place and its value.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Copy the block build.
  • Write the expanded form.
  • Say the value of each digit.
3

We Do — Build Together

12 min

Class drives the Place Value Builder.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Use the Builder to make numbers.
  • Change one place and watch the value jump.
  • Show each place is 10× the next.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Call out numbers to build.
  • Read the expanded form aloud.
  • Explain the 10-times pattern.
4

You Do — On Your Own

13 min

Students build and expand numbers.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Assign numbers to build and expand.
  • Include comparing two numbers.
  • Check digit-by-place understanding.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Build numbers with blocks or drawings.
  • Write each in expanded form.
  • Compare two numbers using place value.
5

Close — Name That Value

5 min

Point to a digit — what’s it worth?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a number; point to a digit.
  • Ask for that digit’s value.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • State a chosen digit’s value.
  • Explain how place changes value.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, including the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

CCSS
4.NBT.A.1

Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right.

CCSS
4.NBT.A.2

Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form; compare using > = <.

CCSS
4.NBT.A.3

Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.

SMP
MP.7

Look for and make use of structure in the base-ten system.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Base-ten blocks labeled with place words.
  • Sentence frame: “The ___ is in the ___ place, worth ___.”
  • Say expanded form aloud together.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with 3-digit numbers (hundreds).
  • Provide a place-value chart to fill in.
  • Use physical blocks before the on-screen tool.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Extend to ten-thousands and beyond.
  • Round numbers to a given place.
  • Compare and order four multi-digit numbers.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Math notebooks
  • 💻The Place Value Builder
  • 🧱Base-ten blocks
  • 📊Place-value charts
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

place valuethe value a digit has by its placedigita single number symbol (0–9)onesthe first place on the righttensten oneshundredsten tensthousandsten hundredsexpanded forma number written as a sum of place valuesstandard formthe usual way to write a number
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
In the number 4,271, what is the value of the 2?
200 (the 2 is in the hundreds place).
QUESTION 2
Write 5,806 in expanded form.
5,000 + 800 + 6 (there are no tens).
QUESTION 3
The 7 in 7,000 is worth how many times the 7 in 700? How do you know?
Ten times — each place to the left is worth ten times the place to its right.

Going deeper? Play “Build the Biggest Number.”

Students draw digit cards and place them to build the largest (or smallest) number possible, then justify with place value. A printable game board is in the Math library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Place Value to the ThousandsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Place Value to the ThousandsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Place Value to the ThousandsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: digit, expanded form, hundreds, ones, place value, standard form, tens, thousands
  1. ten hundreds
  2. the value a digit has by its place
  3. a single number symbol (0–9)
  4. the usual way to write a number
  5. ten tens
  6. ten ones
  7. a number written as a sum of place values
  8. the first place on the right

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. In the number 4,271, what is the value of the 2?
  2. Write 5,806 in expanded form.
  3. The 7 in 7,000 is worth how many times the 7 in 700? How do you know?
Answer key — Part A: 1) thousands · 2) place value · 3) digit · 4) standard form · 5) hundreds · 6) tens · 7) expanded form · 8) ones
Part B: 1) 200 (the 2 is in the hundreds place). 2) 5,000 + 800 + 6 (there are no tens). 3) Ten times — each place to the left is worth ten times the place to its right.