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Math lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 60 minutes

Count back through zero to negative numbers

Number sense

England: Y4 Number and place value

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Count back through zero to negative numbers.

  • 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: Skip count by 2s, 5s, 10s and 100s

Leads to: Negative numbers in context

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 (Skip count by 2s, 5s, 10s and 100s). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Count by 5s. What is missing? 55, 60, __, 70, 75 → 65Prompt: How much does the count go up each time?
  2. Count back by 100s: 900, 800, 700, 600, __ → 500Prompt: Each number is less than the one before. By how much?
  3. Count by 2s. What is missing? 24, 26, 28, __, 32 → 30Prompt: How much does the count go up each time?

Hook · 6 min

  • Show a number in the news or a price tag and ask what each digit is worth.
  • Share the objective: Count back through zero to negative numbers. 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.
  • Model one question from the student sheet, thinking aloud.
  • 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.

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.

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: Skip count by 2s, 5s, 10s and 100s.
  • 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

  • Move on to: Negative numbers in context.
  • 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-3.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

Count back through zero to negative numbers

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    The temperature is 4 °C in the evening. Overnight it falls by 8 degrees. What is the temperature in the morning?

    −10−505104

    Answer

  2. Question 2

    Count back in 10s. What is the missing number? 30, 20, 10, 0, −10, __

    −100102030?

    Answer

  3. Question 3

    The temperature is 1 °C in the evening. Overnight it falls by 4 degrees. What is the temperature in the morning?

    −10−505101

    Answer

  4. Question 4

    Count back in 2s. What is the missing number? 4, 2, 0, −2, __, −6

    −6−2024?

    Answer

  5. Question 5

    The temperature is 5 °C in the evening. Overnight it falls by 11 degrees. What is the temperature in the morning?

    −10−50105

    Answer

  6. Question 6

    Count back in 5s. What is the missing number? 10, 5, 0, −5, __, −15

    −15−50510?

    Answer

  7. Question 7

    The temperature is 2 °C in the evening. Overnight it falls by 5 degrees. What is the temperature in the morning?

    −10−505102

    Answer

  8. Question 8

    Count back in 5s. What is the missing number? 5, 0, −5, −10, −15, __

    −15−10−505?

    Answer

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Answer key: Count back through zero to negative numbers

  1. 1. -4

  2. 2. -20

  3. 3. -3

  4. 4. -4

  5. 5. -6

  6. 6. -10

  7. 7. -3

  8. 8. -20