Place Value Number Battle!

During math each day, 4th graders work on building their math fluency skills. Math fluency contributes to students' having the necessary skills and tools to solve difficult problems more quickly and accurately. This week, students played a fluency game called, "Place Value Number Battle." The game reinforces students' understanding of place value as they have to create the largest number possible with the cards they have played. 

Before playing, students are paired up and divide the cards equally between each player, leaving all cards in a pile facedown. The game is played in tens, hundreds, or thousands. Fourth graders used thousands, meaning each player placed four cards from their pile face up. Then, students had to arrange their cards place value order to form a number with the greatest value possible and read aloud it aloud to their partner. The partner with the largest number takes all the cards and places them at the bottom of their pile. 

However, if each partner creates numbers with the same value, a battle ensues. Each partner places three cards face down in front of them, and three cards face up. The partner that forms the number with the greatest value takes all played cards. The player with the most cards in their pile when the timer rings is the winner!