4th Grade Math Lesson Plan

Ask questions like: 

• What number is in the ones place?
• Tenths place? 
• Hundredths place?

Learning Activities 

Direct Instruction

To introduce the activity, ask:

• Where is somewhere we often see decimal numbers in real life? 

Have students turn and talk to their “elbow partner” and then share their answers with the class. Tell students that decimal numbers are common when working with money, and accurately comparing amounts determines which amount is larger than another.

Write a simple word problem on the board, such as: 

• If Jordan has 2.35 cents from his allowance and Sam has 2.36 cents from his allowance, who has more money? How do we know?

Write each decimal number on the place value chart on the board and model your thinking step by step, then write the answer on the board: 

• 2.36 > 2.35

Sam has more money.

Using the money manipulatives, show students how you would make each number using coins and bills. 

Before moving to guided and independent practice, make sure to address any confusion. 

Ask questions like:

• Which place value should we look at first when comparing decimal numbers, and why?
• If the numbers in the ones and tenths places are the same, what place value do we compare next?
• If the question asked who has LESS money, how could we write the answer (2.35 < 2.36)

Guided Practice

• Guide the class through another word problem, asking for student input at each step. Then, have students work through one last example with a partner, recording their answer on a whiteboard or paper and sharing with the whole class. Observe which pairs accurately solve the problem and which might need more support. 

Independent/Small Group Work

Pass five index cards out to each student, one place value recording sheet per pair, and a blank piece of paper for answers. Instruct students to write a decimal on each card– numbers may have up to two digits after the decimal point and one digit before the decimal point. Each card must be different. To ensure fairness, do not tell the students the purpose of the cards until everyone has finished. 

Then, partners play “war” using their cards. The players hold their cards face down and then flips over one card at the same time. The person who played the card with the greater value wins the round. After each flip, partners record their decimal comparisons on paper, using the place value recording sheet for extra support when needed. 

When time is up, partners must represent one of their comparisons using bills and coins. Either circulate to check for accuracy or have pairs share with the class. 

Optional Support: 

• Encourage students to use the place value template instead of blank paper to represent their comparisons
• Pair a student with a stronger understanding of place value with a student who needs extra practice

Optional Challenge: 

• Add blank cards to the “war” challenge game
• Invite student pairs to represent more than one comparison using bills and coins
• Ask students to create their own money word problem based on their decimal cards

For additional place value support or enrichment, head over to Dreambox Math, an interactive online program that helps students strengthen math skills through activities tailored to their individual level. 

Exit Ticket

With 5 minutes left in the lesson, assign students an exit ticket to demonstrate decimal place value and comparison understanding. Pass out an index card with a quick word problem, like this: 

“Jessa and Taylor buy items at the store. Jessa receives $5.82 in change. Taylor receives $5.20 in change. Who receives more change? Write a decimal comparison using greater than, less than, or equal to symbols.”

Reflection for Decimal Place Value Lesson 

• What went well? How do I know? 
• What evidence do I have that students met the learning objectives? 
• Were the students engaged? Why or why not? 
• Did I adjust instruction and complexity for different learners? 
• Was the pacing too fast/too slow? Was any portion of the lesson (direct instruction, guided practice, independent work) too long?