Place Values (Hundreds, Tens, Ones)

Understanding and identifying place values like ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands is a second grade, Common Core skill: 2.NBT.1. Below we show two videos that demonstrate this standard. Then, we provide a breakdown of the specific steps in the videos to help you teach your class.

Prior Learnings

Your students should be familiar with the first grade skill of counting up to 120 starting from any number below 120 (1.NBT.1), this skill helps them understand greater or less than values. The second grade skill is also closely linked to the first grade skill of understanding place values (ones and tens) in two-digit numbers (1.NBT.2).

Future Learnings

Comparing large numbers as greater than, less than, and equal to will help your students understand future concepts in third grade. In third grade, your students will learn how to interpret the products of whole numbers (i.e. 8 x 3 is the same as 8 groups of 3 objects each) (3.OA.1). They will also learn to use multiplication and division within 100 while solving word problems in situations that involve “equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities” (3.OA.3).

Common Core Standard: 2.NBT.1 - Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones

Students who understand this principle can: 

1. Count by 10s (ten 10s = 100, ten 1's = 10). 
2. Explain place names and how a digit’s place impacts its value.
3. Understand value and place, their relationship, and how they differ. 
4. Use “base ten blocks” to represent numbers. 
5. Use pictures or models to represent place values.
6. Use “place value charts” to identify the places and values of digits in three-digit numbers.

2 Videos to Help You Teach Common Core Standard: 2.NBT.1

Below we provide and breakdown two videos to help you teach your students this standard.

‍Video 1: Place Values in Three Forms

The video explains what place values are, including ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands. It then demonstrates three different forms your students can use to represent place values. 

The video begins by drawing four dashes in a row, and then labels the dashes as ones, tens, hundreds, and thousands from right to left. 

1. Each place value is selfish: Spaces can only have one number.
2. The largest number each space can have is 9. 
   a. So the biggest number you can have is 9,999. 
3. You cannot have two numbers in one place value
   a. So 10 cannot be in the ones’ place; it kicks the second number into the next place value (1 is now in the tens place, and zero is in the ones place).
   

After, the video talks about the different forms, starting with Standard form, then Expanded form, and then Word form.

1. Standard form is writing numbers (or squiggles).
   a. 829 
2. Expanded form writes out each place value.
   a. 829 becomes 800 + 20 + 9 
   b. There is only one digit in each place value: ⑧00 + ②0 + ⑨
        i. Larger numbers with zero can be confusing, so you can have your students write those like this: 7,401= 7,000 + 400 + 00 + 1
3. Word form writes the numbers in words.
   a. 829 becomes eight hundred twenty nine
   b. You don’t have to be too concerned with spelling at this stage. 

Video 2: Place Value Practice with Blocks and Numbers

This video begins by reviewing place values, explaining that each digit in a number has a title, depending on where it is positioned. 

1. In the number 43, there are 4 tens + 3 ones.
2. In the number 643, there are 6 hundreds + 4 tens + 3 ones.
   a. 6 is in the hundreds place
   b. 4 is in the tens place
   c. 3 is in the ones place

Next, Boddle uses a visual example to demonstrate the concept using blocks. You can use blocks with your students to help them understand place value. 

1. The first set of blocks has many layers. One layer has 10 rows of 10 blocks.
   a. Each layer has a hundred blocks; there are 7 layers. 
2. The second set of blocks is stacks of tens
   a. There are 5 stacks, so you have 5 tens.
3. The last set consists of separate blocks, not in layers or stacks.
   a. There are 8 separate blocks, so 8 ones.
4. There are 758 blocks in total.
   

The second half of the video provides additional practice for understanding place value. Boddle presents a number and asks your students to identify the place value of the underlined digit. 

1. In 381, 8 is underlined. 8 is in the tens place, so its value is 80. 
2. In 562, 5 is underlined. 5 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 500.
3. In 907, 7 is underlined. 7 is in the ones place, so its value is 7.
4. In 438, 4 is underlined. 4 is in the hundreds place, so its value is 400.
5. In 174, 7 is underlined. 7 is in the tens place, so its value is 70.
   

Want more practice?

Give your students additional standards-aligned practice with Boddle Learning. Boddle includes questions related to Comparing and Measuring Lengths plus rewarding coins and games for your students to keep them engaged. Click here to sign up for Boddle Learning and create your first assignment today.

*Information on standards is gathered from The New Mexico Public Education Department's New Mexico Instructional Scope for Mathematics and the Common Core website.