Math / 5th Grade / Unit 1: Place Value with Decimals
Students build upon their understanding of the place value system by extending its patterns to decimals, and continue to read, write, compare, and round numbers, including decimals, in various forms.
Math
Unit 1
5th Grade
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In the first unit of 5th grade, students will build on their understanding of the structure of the place value system from 4th grade (MP.7) by extending that understanding to decimals. By the end of the unit, students will have a deep understanding of the base-ten structure of our number system, as well as how to read, write, compare, and round those numbers.
In 4th Grade Math, students developed the understanding that a digit in any place represents ten times as much as it represents in the place to its right (4.NBT.1). With this deepened understanding of the place value system, students read and wrote multi-digit whole numbers in various forms, compared them, and rounded them (4.NBT.2—3).
Unit 1 starts off with reinforcing some of this place value understanding of multi-digit whole numbers to 1 million, building up to that number by multiplying 10 by itself repeatedly. After this repeated multiplication, students are introduced to exponents to denote powers of 10. Then, students review the relationship in a whole number between a place value and the place to its left (4.NBT.1) and learn about the reciprocal relationship of a place value and the place to its right (5.NBT.1). Students also extend their work from 4th Grade Math on multiplying whole numbers by 10 to multiplying and dividing them by powers of 10 (5.NBT.2). After extensive practice with whole numbers, students then divide by 10 repeatedly to extend their place value system in the other direction, to decimals. They then apply these rules and perform these operations with powers of 10 to decimal numbers. Lastly, after deepening their understanding of the base-ten structure of our place value system, students read, write, compare, and round numbers in various forms (5.NBT.3—4).
As mentioned earlier, students will look for and make use of structure throughout the unit (MP.7). Students will also have an opportunity to look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning (MP.8), such as “when students explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10 (5.NBT.2)” (PARCC Model Content Frameworks, p. 24).
This content represents the culmination of many years’ worth of work to deeply understand the structure of our place value system, starting all the way back in Kindergarten with the understanding of teen numbers as “10 ones and some ones” (K.NBT.1). Moving forward, students will rely on this knowledge later in 5th Grade Math to multiply and divide whole numbers (5.NBT.5—6) and perform all four operations with decimals (5.NBT.7). Students will also use their introduction to exponents to evaluate more complex expressions involving them (6.EE.1). Perhaps the most obvious future grade-level connection exists in 8th Grade Math, when students will represent very large and very small numbers using scientific notation and perform operations on numbers written in scientific notation (8.EE.3—4). Thus, this unit represents an important conclusion to the underlying structure of our number system and opens the door to more complex mathematics with very large and very small numbers.
Pacing: 16 instructional days (13 lessons, 2 flex days, 1 assessment day)
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The following assessments accompany Unit 1.
Have students complete the Pre-Unit Assessment and Pre-Unit Student Self-Assessment before starting the unit. Use the Pre-Unit Assessment Analysis Guide to identify gaps in foundational understanding and map out a plan for learning acceleration throughout the unit.
Pre-Unit Student Self-Assessment
Have students complete the Mid-Unit Assessment after lesson 6.
Use the resources below to assess student understanding of the unit content and action plan for future units.
Post-Unit Assessment
Post-Unit Assessment Answer Key
Post-Unit Student Self-Assessment
Use student data to drive your planning with an expanded suite of unit assessments to help gauge students’ facility with foundational skills and concepts, as well as their progress with unit content.
Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit
Unit Launch
Prepare to teach this unit by immersing yourself in the standards, big ideas, and connections to prior and future content. Unit Launches include a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning.
The central mathematical concepts that students will come to understand in this unit
The materials, representations, and tools teachers and students will need for this unit
Terms and notation that students learn or use in the unit
exponent
power
thousandth
To see all the vocabulary for Unit 1, view our 5th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.
Word Problems and Fluency Activities
Access daily word problem practice and our content-aligned fluency activities created to help students strengthen their application and fluency skills.
Topic A: Place Value with Whole Numbers
Build whole numbers to 1 million by multiplying by 10 repeatedly.
5.NBT.A.1 5.NBT.A.2
Use whole numbers to denote powers of 10. Explain patterns in the number of zeros when multiplying any powers of 10 by any other powers of 10.
5.NBT.A.2
Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a whole number by 10. Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in any place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right.
Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a whole number by powers of 10.
Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the quotient when dividing a whole number by 10. Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in any place represents $${\frac{1}{10}}$$ as much as it represents in the place to its left.
Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the quotient when dividing a whole number by powers of 10.
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Topic B: Place Value with Decimals
Build decimal numbers to thousandths by dividing by 10 repeatedly.
Explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied by any power of 10. Recognize that in a multi-digit decimal, a digit in any place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right.
Explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is divided by a power of 10. Recognize that in a multi-digit decimal, a digit in any place represents $${\frac{1}{10}}$$ as much as it represents in the place to its left.
Topic C: Reading, Writing, Comparing, and Rounding Decimals
Read and write decimals to thousandths using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form.
5.NBT.A.3.A
Compare multi-digit decimals to the thousandths based on meanings of the digits using $${>}$$, $${<}$$, or $$=$$ to record the comparison.
5.NBT.A.3.B
Use place value understanding to round decimals to the nearest whole.
5.NBT.A.4
Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.
Key
Major Cluster
Supporting Cluster
Additional Cluster
The content standards covered in this unit
5.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit number, a digit in one place represents 10 times as much as it represents in the place to its right and 1/10 of what it represents in the place to its left.
5.NBT.A.2 — Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.
5.NBT.A.3 — Read, write, and compare decimals to thousandths.
5.NBT.A.3.A — Read and write decimals to thousandths using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form, e.g., 347.392 = 3 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 7 × 1 + 3 × (1/10) + 9 × (1/100) + 2 × (1/1000).
5.NBT.A.3.B — Compare two decimals to thousandths based on meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.
5.NBT.A.4 — Use place value understanding to round decimals to any place.
Standards covered in previous units or grades that are important background for the current unit
3.NBT.A.1 — Use place value understanding to round whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
4.NBT.A.1 — Recognize that in a multi-digit whole number, a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right. For example, recognize that 700 ÷ 70 = 10 by applying concepts of place value and division.
4.NBT.A.2 — Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. Compare two multi-digit numbers based on meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.
4.NBT.A.3 — Use place value understanding to round multi-digit whole numbers to any place.
4.NF.B.4.A — Understand a fraction a/b as a multiple of 1/b. For example, use a visual fraction model to represent 5/4 as the product 5 × (1/4), recording the conclusion by the equation 5/4 = 5 × (1/4).
4.NF.C.5 — Express a fraction with denominator 10 as an equivalent fraction with denominator 100, and use this technique to add two fractions with respective denominators 10 and 100. Students who can generate equivalent fractions can develop strategies for adding fractions with unlike denominators in general. But addition and subtraction with unlike denominators in general is not a requirement at this grade. For example, express 3/10 as 30/100, and add 3/10 + 4/100 = 34/100.
4.NF.C.6 — Use decimal notation for fractions with denominators 10 or 100. For example, rewrite 0.62 as 62/100; describe a length as 0.62 meters; locate 0.62 on a number line diagram.
4.NF.C.7 — Compare two decimals to hundredths by reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons are valid only when the two decimals refer to the same whole. Record the results of comparisons with the symbols >, =, or <, and justify the conclusions, e.g., by using a visual model.
Standards in future grades or units that connect to the content in this unit
6.EE.A.1 — Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.
8.EE.A.3 — Use numbers expressed in the form of a single digit times an integer power of 10 to estimate very large or very small quantities, and to express how many times as much one is than the other. For example, estimate the population of the United States as 3 × 10<sup>8</sup> and the population of the world as 7 × 10<sup>9</sup>, and determine that the world population is more than 20 times larger.
5.NBT.B.5 — Fluently multiply multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.
5.NBT.B.6 — Find whole-number quotients of whole numbers with up to four-digit dividends and two-digit divisors, using strategies based on place value, the properties of operations, and/or the relationship between multiplication and division. Illustrate and explain the calculation by using equations, rectangular arrays, and/or area models.
5.NBT.B.7 — Add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning used.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 — Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 — Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP3 — Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4 — Model with mathematics.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP5 — Use appropriate tools strategically.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6 — Attend to precision.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP7 — Look for and make use of structure.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP8 — Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Unit 2
Multiplication and Division of Whole Numbers
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