Representing and Comparing Numbers

posted Sep 18, 2013, 12:58 PM by Patrick Johnson

Students have been working on representing numbers in math. Yesterday I gave the class the following question to do in partners: Choose two different numbers. Which number is greater? How do you know? Show your work.
Today we placed all of the solutions on a wall and looked together as a class to see which solutions were the best in communicating which number was greater. Students then decided what made those solutions awesome and we listed the criteria for an awesome solution:
  • I chose 2 different numbers and wrote the numbers.
  • I drew images of the tool I used (e.g. base ten) to represent the numbers.
  • I used the same tool to represent each of the numbers I was comparing. I can compare the numbers in multiple ways.
  • I used words to explain which number was greater by referring directly to the tool I used to represent both numbers.
  • I wrote which number was greater and by how much.
  • I organized my work on the page by drawing lines.
  • I used math symbols such as > and <
During our next math period, I will give students the same question and they will try and provide an awesome solution using the above criteria.


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