Math lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 30 minutes
Decimals to thousandths
Decimals and percentages
CCSS 5.NBT.A.3England: Y5 Fractions (including decimals)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Decimals to thousandths.
- 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: Compare and order decimals; Multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000
Leads to: Round decimals; Value of a digit in decimals to thousandths; Convert decimals to fractions in simplest form
Materials: Place value chart with tenths and hundredths, Hundred squares, Number lines, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 4 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Compare and order decimals; Multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the sign: 0.5 __ 0.55 (< / > / =) → <Prompt: Write both with the same number of decimal places.
- 83.3 ÷ 1000 = ? → 0.0833Prompt: Dividing by 1000 moves every digit 3 places to the right.
- Choose the sign: 1.4 __ 1.48 (< / > / =) → <Prompt: Write both with the same number of decimal places.
Hook · 3 min
- Show two prices or race times with decimals and ask which is bigger, then why.
- Share the objective: Decimals to thousandths. 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: Write 654/1000 as a decimal.
- Step 1: 654/1000 = 0.654
- Answer: 0.654
- 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.
- Write 233/1000 as a decimal. → 0.233Prompt: Thousandths need three decimal places.
- Write as one decimal: 5 + 0.7 + 0.05 + 0.003 → 5.753Prompt: Each part gives the digit in one place.
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.
- Write as one decimal: 2 + 0.1 + 0.05 + 0.001 → 2.151Prompt: Each part gives the digit in one place.
- Write 292/1000 as a decimal. → 0.292Prompt: Thousandths need three decimal places.
Watch out for
- Thinking 0.45 is bigger than 0.5 because 45 is bigger than 5.
- Moving the digits the wrong way when multiplying or dividing by 10.
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Compare and order decimals.
- Use concrete materials: place value chart with tenths and hundredths.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Round decimals; Value of a digit in decimals to thousandths; Convert decimals to fractions in simplest form.
- 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-5.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder