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Entire Librarylesson-planSecond GradeMathComparing Values

Lesson Plan

Comparing Values

Help students use two strategies that will help them figure out which three-digit number is greater than, less than, or equal to another three-digit number. Use on its own or with Let's Compare! Place Value Disks & Three-Digit Numbers.
This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson for the Let’s Compare! Place Value Disks & Three-Digit Numbers lesson plan.
Grade
Second Grade
Subject
Math
English Learner
English Learner Prelessons
View aligned standards
2.NBT.A.4
SL.2.1
SL.2.3
CA ELD.PI.2.3
CA ELD.PI.2.1
TX ELP c3D
NY NLAP SL.1:SL.2.1
NY NLAP SL.3:SL.2.3
This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson for the Let’s Compare! Place Value Disks & Three-Digit Numbers lesson plan.

Objectives

Academic

Students will be able to compare two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using symbols to record the results.

Language

Students will be able to compare the values of two three-digit numbers with academic vocabulary and more complex sentences using sentence frames and partnerships for support.

Introduction

(4 minutes)
Place Value Mat: Three-Digit NumbersVocabulary Cards: Comparing ValuesGlossary: Comparing ValuesTeach Background Knowledge TemplateWrite Student-Facing Language Objectives Reference
  • Gather the students together and write the numbers 6 and 134 on the whiteboard.
  • Provide each student with a personal whiteboard and whiteboard marker.
  • Ask students to write down the number that is greater than the other number.
  • Give students a few moments and ask them to show you their whiteboards.
  • Encourage a few students to share out the strategy they used for figuring out which number was greater than the other number. Provide a sentence frame to support students in sharing their ideas (e.g. "I know ________ is greater than ________ because ________"). Elaborate that the number 6 only has one digit while the number 134 has three digits. This means 6 is equal to 6 ones, whereas 134 is equal to 4 ones, 3 tens, and 1 hundred. 134 is greater than 6 because it has values in the tens and hundreds place.
  • Keep 134 on the whiteboard and erase the number 6. Replace it with the number 234.
  • Repeat the process above and instruct students to write down the number that is greater than the other number on their whiteboard.
  • Allow a few students to share out their ideas, encouraging them to refer to the sentence frame for support.
  • Explain to the students that comparing two numbers with the same number of digits can be tricky. Create a place value chart on the whiteboard by drawing three columns and writing H, T, O in each column from left to right. Record both three-digit numbers in the place value chart.
  • Show students how to compare each digit, starting in the ones place. Circle the digits that are the same (4 ones, 3 tens). Elaborate that these digits are worth the same values and sketch a picture of base-ten blocks to help students visualize (small squares for ones, long rectangles for tens, big squares for hundreds). When you get to the hundreds place, put a star next to the 2 because that number is greater than the 1. Say, "This number has 2 hundreds and this number only has 1 hundred. I know that 234 is greater than 134 because 2 hundreds is more than 1 hundred." Sketch the hundreds using base-ten blocks for students to see.
  • Tell the class today they will compare and contrast two strategies they can use to figure out which three-digit number is greater than, less than, or equal to another three-digit number.