Owl Smart: A 3rd Grade Learning Journey

Unit 8 -- Place Value and Number Sense  |  6 Lessons

What Are We Learning Today?

Our number system is called the base-ten system. This means every position in a number is worth 10 times more than the position to its right. The digit 3 in 300 is worth much more than the digit 3 in 30 or the digit 3 in 3! Today we master the hundreds, tens, and ones places.

Key Words to Know

Place Value -- The value of a digit based on its POSITION in the number.
Digit -- The symbols 0-9 used to write numbers.
Hundreds Place -- The third position from the right. A digit here is worth that many hundreds.
Tens Place -- The second position from the right. A digit here is worth that many tens.
Ones Place -- The first position from the right. A digit here is worth exactly that many.
Expanded Form -- Writing a number as the sum of the values of each digit. Example: 347 = 300 + 40 + 7.

The Place Value Chart

Let's look at the number 347

HUNDREDS
3
= 300
TENS
4
= 40
ONES
7
= 7

347 = 300 + 40 + 7

Three Ways to Show a Number

FormWhat It Looks LikeExample for 256
Standard FormThe regular number256
Expanded FormSum of each place value200 + 50 + 6
Word FormWritten out in wordstwo hundred fifty-six

The Value of Each Digit Changes by Position

NumberDigit 5 is in the...Value of the 5
500Hundreds place500
50Tens place50
5Ones place5
537Hundreds place500
257Tens place50
275Ones place5
Key Insight: The same digit can have a completely different VALUE depending on WHERE it sits in the number! This is why understanding place value is the foundation of all number sense.

Try It Yourself!

  1. Write the number 492 in expanded form and in word form.
  2. What is the value of the digit 7 in each number: 700, 370, 47, 714?
  3. Build the number with: 5 hundreds, 3 tens, 8 ones. What is the number?
  4. What number has 4 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones?

Remember This!

Hundreds -- Tens -- Ones: position determines value!

Expanded form = 347 = 300 + 40 + 7

The same digit in a different place has a completely different value.

Great start! Click Lesson 8.2!

What Are We Learning Today?

Today we practice reading numbers written in words and writing them as digits -- all the way up to 1,000! This includes tricky numbers like those with zeros in the middle, such as 405 or 730.

Key Words to Know

Word Form -- A number written out completely in words. Example: four hundred sixty-two.
Standard Form -- A number written using digits. Example: 462.
Hyphen -- The dash (-) used when writing two-digit numbers 21-99 in word form. Example: sixty-seven.

Numbers in Word Form -- The Patterns

Ones (1-19)

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen

Tens (20-90)

twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety

Combine: twenty-one, thirty-five, forty-eight...

Hundreds (100-900)

one hundred, two hundred, three hundred...

Combine: three hundred forty-seven, five hundred twelve...

Tricky Numbers -- Zeros in the Middle!

Standard FormWord FormExpanded Form
405four hundred five400 + 0 + 5 = 400 + 5
730seven hundred thirty700 + 30 + 0 = 700 + 30
600six hundred600 + 0 + 0 = 600
312three hundred twelve300 + 10 + 2
1,000one thousand1,000
Tricky part: When a place has a zero, we skip it in word form. 405 = "four hundred five" (NOT "four hundred zero five"). The zero holds the tens place but we don't say "zero tens" aloud!

Try It Yourself!

  1. Write in word form: 524, 307, 890, 1,000
  2. Write in standard form: "six hundred forty-one," "two hundred nine," "five hundred"
  3. Write in expanded form: 763, 408, 550
  4. What number is: 800 + 0 + 3?

Remember This!

Use a hyphen for two-digit numbers in word form (twenty-four).

When a place has zero, skip it in word form but keep it in standard form!

405 = "four hundred five" -- not "four hundred zero five."

Excellent! Click Lesson 8.3!

What Are We Learning Today?

Comparing numbers means deciding which is greater, which is less, or whether they are equal. We use three special symbols: > (greater than), < (less than), and = (equal to). The key is always to compare place by place, starting from the left!

Key Words to Know

Greater Than (>) -- The number on the left is larger. The open mouth faces the bigger number.
Less Than (<) -- The number on the left is smaller. The pointed end faces the smaller number.
Equal To (=) -- Both numbers have the same value.
Ordering -- Arranging numbers from smallest to largest (ascending) or largest to smallest (descending).

The Alligator Trick -- Remember the Symbols!

Greater Than >

8 > 5

The alligator's mouth opens toward the BIGGER number (8). The alligator always wants to eat the bigger number!

Less Than <

3 < 9

The point faces the SMALLER number (3). 3 is less than 9.

How to Compare 3-Digit Numbers -- Step by Step

StepWhat to DoExample: 547 vs 563
1Compare the HUNDREDS digit first5 = 5 (same -- move to next place)
2Compare the TENS digit4 < 6 (different! 547 is less than 563)
3Write the comparison547 < 563

473 > 368

Hundreds: 4 > 3 -- stop here, we know!

251 < 259

Hundreds: 2=2, Tens: 5=5, Ones: 1 < 9

Ordering Numbers -- Smallest to Largest

Order these numbers from least to greatest: 472, 247, 742, 427

247
<
427
<
472
<
742

Compare hundreds digits first: 2 < 4 < 4 < 7. For the tie at 4 (427 and 472), compare tens: 2 < 7.

Try It Yourself!

  1. Write >, <, or = between each pair:   423 ___ 432   |   700 ___ 700   |   561 ___ 516
  2. Order from least to greatest: 834, 384, 843, 438
  3. Order from greatest to least: 291, 912, 129, 219
  4. I am a 3-digit number. My hundreds digit is greater than 5. My tens digit is less than 4. My ones digit equals my tens digit. What could I be?

Remember This!

> greater than  |  < less than  |  = equal to

Always compare left to right: hundreds first, then tens, then ones.

The alligator's mouth always opens toward the bigger number!

Well done! Click Lesson 8.4!

What Are We Learning Today?

Rounding means finding the nearest "neat" number -- the nearest 10 or the nearest 100. We round when we need a quick estimate rather than an exact answer. Rounding is used every day: "About how much will this cost?" or "Roughly how far is the trip?" are rounding questions!

Key Words to Know

Rounding -- Replacing a number with a nearby "neat" number that is close in value.
Estimate -- An approximate answer -- close but not exact.
Nearest Ten -- The multiple of 10 that a number is closest to (10, 20, 30, 40...).
Nearest Hundred -- The multiple of 100 that a number is closest to (100, 200, 300...).
Halfway Point -- When a digit is exactly 5, we always round UP.

The Rounding Rule

Rounding to the Nearest 10 -- Look at the ONES digit

If the ones digit is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 -- round DOWN (keep the tens digit the same, ones become 0)

If the ones digit is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 -- round UP (increase the tens digit by 1, ones become 0)

Examples: 43 → 40  |  47 → 50  |  65 → 70  |  82 → 80

Rounding to the Nearest 100 -- Look at the TENS digit

If the tens digit is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 -- round DOWN (keep the hundreds digit, tens and ones become 0)

If the tens digit is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 -- round UP (increase the hundreds digit by 1, tens and ones become 0)

Examples: 320 → 300  |  380 → 400  |  450 → 500  |  749 → 700

Using a Number Line to Round

Round 47 to the nearest 10:

40
41 42 43 44
45
46 47 48 49
50

47 is between 40 and 50. It is closer to 50 (only 3 away vs 7 away). So 47 rounds UP to 50.

Practice Rounding Chart

NumberRound to nearest 10Round to nearest 100
234230 (ones: 4, round down)200 (tens: 3, round down)
567570 (ones: 7, round up)600 (tens: 6, round up)
450450 (ones: 0, round down)500 (tens: 5, round up)
782780 (ones: 2, round down)800 (tens: 8, round up)

Try It Yourself!

  1. Round to the nearest 10: 63, 78, 45, 91, 34
  2. Round to the nearest 100: 350, 420, 870, 150, 649
  3. A store sells 387 apples in one day. About how many apples is that, rounded to the nearest hundred?
  4. There are 54 students going on a field trip. About how many is that, rounded to the nearest ten?

Remember This!

To round to nearest 10: look at the ones digit.

To round to nearest 100: look at the tens digit.

Digits 0-4: round DOWN  |  Digits 5-9: round UP

Keep going! Click Lesson 8.5!

What Are We Learning Today?

Every whole number is either even or odd. This simple fact has powerful consequences in mathematics! Today we learn how to identify even and odd numbers and explore the patterns they create when you add, subtract, or multiply them.

Key Words to Know

Even Number -- A number that can be divided into two equal groups with nothing left over. Even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.
Odd Number -- A number that CANNOT be divided into two equal groups -- there is always one left over. Odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9.

Identifying Even and Odd Numbers

Even numbers (end in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8):

2
4
6
8
10
12
20
34
58
100

Odd numbers (end in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9):

1
3
5
7
9
11
23
47
69
301
Quick Check: To tell if any number is even or odd, just look at the LAST digit (the ones digit). If it ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 -- even! If it ends in 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 -- odd! The other digits do not matter at all.

Even and Odd Patterns

OperationRuleExample
Even + Even= Even4 + 6 = 10 (even)
Odd + Odd= Even3 + 5 = 8 (even)
Even + Odd= Odd4 + 3 = 7 (odd)
Even x Even= Even4 x 6 = 24 (even)
Even x Odd= Even4 x 3 = 12 (even)
Odd x Odd= Odd3 x 5 = 15 (odd)

Try It Yourself!

  1. Circle the even numbers: 47, 82, 165, 300, 991, 428, 73, 560
  2. Without calculating, predict whether each answer will be even or odd:   7 + 9 = ___   |   6 + 8 = ___   |   5 + 4 = ___
  3. Is the product of two odd numbers always odd, always even, or sometimes both? Give two examples.
  4. Write all the even numbers between 51 and 61.

Remember This!

EVEN = ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 (can be split into two equal groups)

ODD = ends in 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 (always one left over)

Odd + Odd = Even  |  Even + Even = Even  |  Even + Odd = Odd

Almost there! Click Lesson 8.6!

What Are We Learning Today?

Numbers follow patterns -- predictable sequences where each number relates to the next by a consistent rule. Recognising number patterns is a key mathematical thinking skill. Skip counting is one of the most useful patterns -- and it connects directly to multiplication!

Key Words to Know

Pattern -- A sequence that follows a consistent rule.
Skip Counting -- Counting by a number other than 1 (by 2s, 3s, 5s, 10s, 100s).
Rule -- The operation that tells you how to get from one number to the next in a pattern.
Sequence -- A list of numbers arranged in a specific order following a rule.
Increasing Pattern -- A pattern where the numbers get bigger.
Decreasing Pattern -- A pattern where the numbers get smaller.

Skip Counting Sequences

Skip count by 2s:

2
+2
4
+2
6
+2
8
+2
10
+2
12

Skip count by 5s:

5
+5
10
+5
15
+5
20
+5
25
+5
30

Skip count by 100s:

100
+100
200
+100
300
+100
400
+100
500
+100
600

Finding the Rule in a Pattern

PatternRuleNext Three Numbers
3, 6, 9, 12, ___Add 3 each time15, 18, 21
100, 90, 80, 70, ___Subtract 10 each time60, 50, 40
4, 8, 12, 16, ___Add 4 (count by 4s)20, 24, 28
500, 400, 300, ___Subtract 100 each time200, 100, 0
2, 4, 8, 16, ___Double (multiply by 2)32, 64, 128

Skip Counting Connects to Multiplication!

Skip count by 6s:

6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36...

These are the multiples of 6 -- the same as the 6 times table! 6x1=6, 6x2=12, 6x3=18...

Why it matters:

Skip counting IS multiplication! If you can skip count by 7s, you already know your 7 times table.

7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70

Try It Yourself!

  1. Find the rule and write the next three numbers:   25, 50, 75, ___, ___, ___
  2. Find the rule and write the next three numbers:   200, 175, 150, ___, ___, ___
  3. Skip count by 8s starting from 0: 0, 8, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___, ___
  4. What is the pattern? 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, ___, ___. What makes this pattern different from the others?

You Finished Unit 8!

A pattern follows a consistent rule -- find the rule and you can predict what comes next!

Skip counting is the same as listing the multiples of a number.

Increasing patterns add or multiply. Decreasing patterns subtract or divide.

Incredible work! You completed all 6 lessons in Unit 8! Now take the Unit 8 Quiz!