Students make pictorial models of decimal fractions focusing on the tenths and hundredths places. The pictures allow students to understand more deeply the size of a decimal in relationship to a whole. Students then order the values on a number line between zero and one. Students write values in equivalent form as decimals and as fractions (56/100 and 0.56). Students also illustrate that 0.7 (or seven tenths) is equivalent to 0.70 (or 70 hundredths). They make other conclusions important to decimal place value, such as 0.23 < 0.4 Often, students reason incorrectly that 23 is more than 4 without appreciating the importance of identifying the tenths and hundredths places.





This sudent focuses on the basic fourth grade objective of modeling decimals to the nearest tenth before moving on to hundredths and thousandths.

Indicators:

6.4.2.3 identify and compare decimals to the hundredths using numerals, pictures, and concrete objects.
6.4.7.2 identify and describe the relationship between fractions and decimals.
6.5.2.1 compare and order decimalsto the thousandths place and describe them using place value concepts.