Place value demonstration spreadsheet | number | 05/04/03

The decimal point does not move!

You can download an Excel spreadsheet designed to explore place notation and allow students to see the effect of adding various powers of ten to a number. You can also visit an external site and download some of Liz Philip's PowerPoints on decimal notation and dividing by ten.

The decimal place namer

Students I see in FE often have difficulty with ordering decimal fractions. People will say that 3.17 is bigger than 3.2. When you press them a little they say 'well it has more numbers'. This spreadsheet is based on a superb idea by Liz Philips for whole numbers, but I have extended the spreadsheet to work for decimals.

Screen grab of the Excel spreadsheet in action showing the clickers and final number.

I'm planning to use this in projected mode (select View | Full Screen from the Excel menu bar)
This particular spreadsheet is designed for 800 by 600 screens but the formatting will only need minor changes for 1024 by 756 screens
The idea is to show graphically how bumping up 1 in a named place value (eg tens) changes the number
I am devising an extended version that will show carrying when you 'roll over' 9 in any column.
This will be a starter in a lesson where students will be asked to answer questions like 'In the number 15.621, what is the 2 worth?'
There is also a second worksheet called the decimal place clicker that has the buttons under the relevant columns.
See http://www.icteachers.co.uk/resources/resources_numeracy.htm for Liz Philips PowerPoint presentations on decimal, decimal place and div10. Scroll down and you will find them.

Originally added on Saturday, April 5, 03
in category: number

Comment on this resource

[ top ]

Use this form to send a comment about this resource. When you send your comment by clicking on the 'Send' button, you will be returned to this page.

[ top ]

Content by Keith Burnett and contributors
Powered by Movable Type 2.63

Your name
Your e-mail address (if you want a reply)
Your comments	Type or paste your message here
Click to send!