Math lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes
Order decimals with up to three decimal places
Decimals and percentages
CCSS 5.NBT.A.3.BEngland: Y6 Fractions (including decimals)
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Order decimals with up to three decimal places.
- 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 decimals to thousandths
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Place value chart with tenths and hundredths, Hundred squares, Number lines, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Compare decimals to thousandths). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Choose the sign: 2.445 __ 2.455 (< / > / =) → <Prompt: Line up the decimal points and add zeros so both have three decimal places.
- Liam says 3.625 > 3.7 because it has more digits. Is Liam right? (yes / no) → noPrompt: More digits does not mean bigger for decimals.
- Choose the sign: 9.767 __ 10.067 (< / > / =) → <Prompt: Line up the decimal points and add zeros so both have three decimal places.
Hook · 5 min
- Show two prices or race times with decimals and ask which is bigger, then why.
- Share the objective: Order decimals with up to three decimal places. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Race times in seconds: Ethan 12.285, Liam 12.951, Noah 12.680. Who was fastest?
- Step 1: Ethan
- Answer: Ethan
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Race times in seconds: Hana 11.181, Kwame 11.834, Grace 11.631. Who was fastest? (Hana / Kwame / Grace) → HanaPrompt: The fastest runner has the smallest time.
- Race times in seconds: Diego 12.423, Hana 12.193, Noah 12.134. Who was fastest? (Diego / Hana / Noah) → NoahPrompt: The fastest runner has the smallest time.
You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Race times in seconds: Ines 12.893, Hana 12.406, Maya 12.603. Who was fastest? (Ines / Hana / Maya) → HanaPrompt: The fastest runner has the smallest time.
- Race times in seconds: Aisha 12.302, Kwame 12.704, Sofia 12.448. Who was fastest? (Aisha / Kwame / Sofia) → AishaPrompt: The fastest runner has the smallest time.
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 decimals to thousandths.
- 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
- 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