Place Value and Operations with Whole Numbers
This unit starts with a review of place value and then moves on to using this understanding within the 4 operations. The focus begins with solidifying the computational fluency for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing whole numbers up to 4 digits. Students will use mental strategies to make quick estimations before using written methods of calculating. Students will also have an opportunity to explore how calculators can be a helpful tool for calculations and problem solving.
Key questions:
- How does a digit's place affect its value?
- How can rounding help us to check the correctness of our answers?
- How can we use understanding of place value to multiply accurately?
- What are the different ways of describing a remainder according to the specific context?
- How does the standard algorithm connect to our understanding of place value?
- How can mathematicians model division in different ways?
As ever, we want our students to feel like they can be successful in mathematics. This unit explores the huge variety of ways we can arrive at an answer to a problem using multiple methods or strategies. All approaches that lead to the answer are good, although some may be more efficient than others. Understanding why these strategies work and why place value is central to representing and justifying the correctness of algorithms, is key to understanding which ones may be best for a given context.
Here is an example of one model for dividing two numbers. There are many more. Students will explore lateral ways of thinking to end up with the confidence to select the strategies that really suit them and their particular context.
The following link will give you the operational strategies that Primary students will encounter in their time between G1 and G5:
UWC Primary School Mathematics Operational Strategies Booklet and also in your child's organiser.
Next unit... Decimal Place Value & Conversion of Measurement units
