Most schools are in session now (whether virtually or in-person), and I know that year after year, the first thing that most teachers teach in math is place value! Whether or not your curriculum and standards are full of place value review, it is such a crucial skill to master when preparing for most other math concepts.

Place Value Activity

I have SO many activities, and you can read all about my place value unit HERE. This year, I added a new free resource that will really get your students thinking! It is so easy to set up, and this hands-on activity really encourages your students to think critically about place value, the difference between value and quantity, and the different ways to write a number. First, you will need a set of disks. I purchased these disks on Amazon (click HERE for an affiliate link if you’d like to purchase them), but I also included some printable “disks” at the end of the file if you don’t want to purchase them! I took out the 1,000,000 disks since I was working with 3rd graders, but you can always leave them in to meet the needs of your students.

The first page has students draw a certain number of disks, then write the number in a variety of different ways. I encourage you to compare answers on this one to show that even though everyone has 12 disks (each disk with a different value), some people will have a HUGE number whereas others will not. Once they have done that task, students are given parts of the numbers, either in expanded form, word form, or standard form, and they need to find the appropriate disks to make the number. This is my favorite part because I love to see students think critically about math!

Are you looking for even more resources? I have place value error analysis, a place value math project, task cards, and so much more!