Math lesson plan · 6th grade (Year 7 in England) · 60 minutes
Powers of ten and place value
Number sense
CCSS 5.NBT.A.2CCSS 6.EE.A.1England: KS3 Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Powers of ten and place value.
- 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: Use exponent notation for repeated multiplication; Multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000
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 · 6 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Use exponent notation for repeated multiplication; Multiply and divide by 10, 100, 1000). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Write 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 as a power (for example 4^3). → 2⁴Prompt: The base is the number being multiplied.
- 629 × 1000 = ? → 629000Prompt: Multiplying by 1000 moves every digit 3 places to the left.
- In 14⁷, what is the base? → 14Prompt: The exponent is the small raised number.
Hook · 6 min
- Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
- Share the objective: Powers of ten and place value. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 12 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Write 10⁶ as an ordinary number.
- Step 1: 10⁶ = 1 000 000
- Answer: 1000000
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 12 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 10² as an ordinary number. → 100Prompt: 10ⁿ is 1 followed by n zeros.
- 100 000 = 10ⁿ. What is n? → 5Prompt: Count the zeros after the 1.
You do: independent practice · 17 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 · 7 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- Work out 2.4 × 10³. → 2400Prompt: 10³ = 1000.
- 100 000 000 = 10ⁿ. What is n? → 8Prompt: Count the zeros after the 1.
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: Use exponent notation for repeated multiplication.
- 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-6.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder