B1.1 Read, represent, compose, and decompose whole numbers up to and including 10 000, using appropriate tools and strategies, and describe various ways they are used in everyday life.
Activity 1: Calling Out the Numbers
Prepare cards like the ones below using numbers up to 10 000.
Distribute all the cards to the students. Depending on the number of students in the class, some students may receive two cards. Choose a student at random and ask them to read the question on the card: Who has the number equal to…. The student who has the card with the answer to the question on it must answer (I have…), then read the question on their card.
Continue the game until you return to the first question.
| Decomposition |
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I have 1234. Who has the number equal to (10 000 + 3000 + 500 + 3)? |
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I have 13 503. Who has the number equal to 1200 + 34 ? |
Source: translated from Guide d'enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 4e à la 6e année, Numération et sens du nombre, Fascicule 1, Nombres naturels, p. 190.
Activity 2: Featured Number
Each week, present a featured number to students between 1000 and 10 000.
In pairs, ask them to find different representations of the featured number. For example, in words, on a number line, by decomposing the number, and so on.
Collect and display the results to bring out all the representations.
Ask students where they might find this number in their daily lives.
Let the students' ideas be posted and throughout the week, add more representations.
Activity 3: Estimating Large Numbers
Discuss with students the estimation strategies that can be used when presented with problems for which it is difficult to determine the correct answer.
- How many words are in your reading book or in a given storybook?
- How many people live on your street or in your building?
- How many pencils are in the school?
- How many logic blocks are there in the school?
- How many apples are there in an orchard?
Encourage students to choose a benchmark and use it to make an accurate estimate (for example, by counting the number of words on a page, one can estimate the total number of words in a book).
Source: translated from Guide d'enseignement efficace des mathématiques de la 1re à la 3e année, Numération et sens du nombre, p. 152.