Place Value Towers — Giraffe Feed
Progression 2 (Years 3–4) Number | Building and renaming 3-digit numbers with zoo feed and restoration supplies.
Learning Intentions & Success Criteria
Te Mātaiaho: use place value to operate with whole numbers to 1 000
NZC L2–3: place value knowledge to 1 000
Key idea: a digit’s value depends on its place
Ākonga are learning to:
- Compose/decompose 3-digit numbers with hundreds, tens, ones.
- Rename numbers flexibly (e.g., 3 hundreds 14 tens 2 ones).
- Connect concrete models to written and expanded forms.
Success looks like:
- I can build a number two ways with place value blocks.
- I can write standard and expanded form.
- I can explain the value of each digit.
Teacher prompts
- “What does this digit represent here?”
- “Can you rename it another way?”
- “Show me the same number in three forms.”
Kupu / Vocabulary
- hundreds / rau
- tens / tekau
- ones / tahi
- digit / mati
- expanded form / whakaahua whānui
- rename / tapa anō
🎥 Media Anchor (8 mins)
Video: Building Number Strategy Fluency
- Which strategy from the clip can you model with counters or number lines today?
- How will you explain your strategy choice to a partner using maths words?
Materials
- Base-10 blocks; PV charts; mini whiteboards.
- Context cards: feed loads (e.g., 247 kg), seedling bundles (e.g., 384 plants).
- A5 Handout: Progression 2 core (place value) or generator “Place value.”
Lesson Flow
Hook (5 mins)
- Show a delivery card “247 kg” for giraffes; ask how many hundreds/tens/ones.
Teach/Model (12 mins)
- Build 247 with blocks; write 200 + 40 + 7; rename as 1 hundred 14 tens 7 ones.
- Compare two numbers; discuss which has more tens/ones even if fewer hundreds.
Guided Practice (15 mins)
- Station A: Build & rename; record two forms for each card.
- Station B: Expanded form match (cards to models).
- Station C: “Which is greater?” using digit-by-digit place value talk.
Independent/Extension (10–12 mins)
- Three numbers to build/rename/write.
- Extension: create a “tricky rename” (e.g., 402 = 3 hundreds 10 tens 2 ones).
- Support: limit to < 300; provide PV chart scaffold.
Exit Check (5 mins)
- Write expanded and one rename for 386.
Place-based options
- Hamilton Zoo feed store: sample weights; write place value.
- Restoration (Zealandia/SM Maungatautari): seedlings in bundles of 10; count to hundreds.
Representation focus: concrete → PV chart → expanded/standard notation. Emphasise renaming flexibility.
Differentiation & Support
Scaffolds
- Use place value charts with colour-coded columns.
- Keep numbers under 300 and avoid renaming at first.
- Provide a “swap 10 tens = 1 hundred” reminder card.
Extensions
- Rename with multiple trades (e.g., 562 as 4 hundreds 16 tens 2 ones).
- Create a “mystery number” with clues about each place.
- Compare two numbers using place value justification.
Common Misconceptions
- Reading digits without place value (e.g., 402 as 42). Remedy: say “4 hundreds, 0 tens, 2 ones.”
- Believing renaming changes the number. Remedy: show equivalence with blocks.
- Confusing tens/ones in expanded form. Remedy: align digits under PV columns.
Assessment & Evidence
- Exit check accuracy; note if students can rename beyond “flat” PV.
- Station notes on comparing numbers digit-by-digit.
Whānau Connection
- Send home a “place value hunt”: find 3-digit numbers in the community (signs, prices).
- Invite whānau to share a number from mahi and discuss its hundreds/tens/ones.
Handout Link
Use Progression 2 core handout (place value) or generator “Place value,” range 100–999, 24–28 questions.
Curriculum alignment
- Number — Practices: - The whole numbers from 0 to 100 form a sequence. - The base 10 number system is organised by place value (tens and ones for two-digit numbers). - The names of numbers betwee…
- Measurement — Practices: - The whole numbers from 0 to 100 form a sequence. - The base 10 number system is organised by place value (tens and ones for two-digit numbers). - The names of numbers betwee…
- Statistics — Practices: - The whole numbers from 0 to 100 form a sequence. - The base 10 number system is organised by place value (tens and ones for two-digit numbers). - The names of numbers betwee…
- Algebra — Practices: - The whole numbers from 0 to 100 form a sequence. - The base 10 number system is organised by place value (tens and ones for two-digit numbers). - The names of numbers betwee…
- Geometry — Practices: - The whole numbers from 0 to 100 form a sequence. - The base 10 number system is organised by place value (tens and ones for two-digit numbers). - The names of numbers betwee…
Curriculum alignment
- Te Mātaiaho (2025) · Mathematics and Statistics · Phase 1 (Years 0–3) · Geometry (Knowledge): “- Counting can be organised in groups (e.g. ten ones can be renamed as one 10). - The same value can be represented with different groupings (e.g. 12 is six pairs or 12 ones or one 10s and two ones).”
- NZC (2007) · Mathematics and Statistics · Level 2: “Know how many ones, tens, and hundreds are in whole numbers to at least 1000.”
📋 Kaiako Planning Snapshot
Teacher planning support for this resource — learning intentions, success criteria, and inclusive practice guidance are summarised below.
Inclusion Guidance
- ESOL / ELL learners: Pre-teach key vocabulary (numeracy, number, place) using visual word walls or bilingual glossaries before the lesson. Reduce language load with diagrams and visual models. Partner-share and think-pair-share strategies encouraged.
- Neurodiverse learners / ADHD: Break the lesson into clear segments with visual checkpoints. UDL principle: offer ākonga a choice in how they demonstrate understanding (verbal, written, visual/drawn). Provide anchor charts or reference cards for numeracy number p2 l1 concepts throughout.
- Dyslexia: Provide audio-text alternatives for written materials. Use high-contrast fonts and generous line spacing. Allow voice recording as an alternative to written responses where possible.