Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens Lesson Plan Activities

Changing the position of the digits in a number will change the value of the number. Often children confuse which place a digit goes or will not line up the digits with their proper place value when adding and subtracting. This activity will help to reinforce the meaning of the digits in their places and which value is represented by these digits.

Make cards on card stock or construction paper with one digit for each card. If you plan to do this activity often you might consider laminating the cards. You can draw the digits or cut them out of colored card stock and paste the numbers on the white card stock sheets.

1. Shuffle the cards and place four digits on the chalk rail.

2. Ask the children to read the number.

3. Have children make the number using their Base Ten Place Value Blocks

4. Now rearrange the digits. Have the children read the new number and make that number with their base ten blocks.

5. Compare the two numbers and talk about the difference between the two numbers. Were they surprised?

Place Value and Math Journals
5th and 6th Grade Teacher reads Sir Comference and the King's Tens and then used the story to begin a lesson on Place Value. The students write their findings in Math Journals and even make their own tents.

Pumpkins and Place Value
Carve a pumpkin, count the seeds and learn place value

Understanding a Billion
Going beyond ones, tens and hundreds to grasp the meaning of thousands, millions and billions. What do all those zeros mean in place value. The mathematics of large numbers.

Place Value
Pinterest Board of Hands-on Place Value Activities and Lesson Plans

Now break up into small groups to help Lady Di and Sir Cumference plan for King Arthur's Birthday Party. Spend some time discussing what kinds of preparations need to be made for the party. How many people will there be in total? What kinds of foods and how much of each item will they need? Ask the children for suggestions for creating independent learning centers. Create stations around the room.

Possible centers include:

 Using graph paper determine how much space is needed to accommodate all the guests. Each guest needs one square of space inside the tent. The smallest tent holds 9 people. The next holds 90, the next biggest holds 900 and the largest holds 9000. Then use construction paper or newspaper and tape or glue to create tents large enough to hold all the guests. Note: Rolled up paper can create beams for the corners and sides. Is it possible to create a tent large enough for 9000?

The Ramsay Scallop: A Medieval Unit Study
A young knight and his future lady take a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela and meet thousands of people along the way.