Math lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes
Count forwards and backwards in powers of 10
Number sense
CCSS 4.NBT.A.1England: Y5 Number and place value
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Count forwards and backwards in powers of 10.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Find 10, 100 or 1000 more or less; Place value names up to hundred thousands
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Place value chart, Base-ten blocks or a number line, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Find 10, 100 or 1000 more or less; Place value names up to hundred thousands). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- What is 10 more than 4003? → 4013Prompt: Which digit changes when you add 10?
- In 107 469, which place is the digit 4 in? (thousands / hundreds / tens / hundred thousands) → hundredsPrompt: The places in a group of three are hundreds, tens, ones — for thousands too.
- What is 100 more than 3992? → 4092Prompt: The hundreds digit is 9. What happens when it goes up by one?
Hook · 3 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Count forwards and backwards in powers of 10. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 7 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Find the missing number: 214 209, 215 209, 216 209, __, 218 209
- Step 1: The step is +1000.
- Step 2: 217 209
- Answer: 217209
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 6 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Find the missing number: 175 715, 176 715, __, 178 715, 179 715 → 177715Prompt: Which digit changes from one number to the next?
- Start at 595 870 and count back 3 steps of 10 000. Where do you land? → 565870Prompt: 3 steps of 10 000 is 30 000 altogether.
You do: independent practice · 7 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 3 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Start at 123 261 and count back 4 steps of 10 000. Where do you land? → 83261Prompt: 4 steps of 10 000 is 40 000 altogether.
- Find the missing number: 517 764, 417 764, __, 217 764, 117 764 → 317764Prompt: Which digit changes from one number to the next?
Watch out for
- Reading 1,045 as one thousand four hundred five: point to each place and say its value.
- Thinking a longer number is always bigger, even with decimals (0.45 vs 0.5).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Find 10, 100 or 1000 more or less.
- Use concrete materials: place value chart.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-4.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder