Numbers Beyond 10 000: a week of ready-to-teach maths
Five days of lessons for Year 3 Number. Print this pack and the week is prepared: each day has a one-page plan and a student worksheet, plus cut-out cards, a mini-check and every answer.
Start here: five minutes to Monday
- Skim the week at a glance on the next page.
- Print the five days. Each day is two A4 sheets: a plan and a worksheet.
- Cut out the two card sheets once; they are reused all week.
- Open the free interactive unit on your board. Every plan tells you which picture to show and which buttons to press.
- Teach straight from the plan. Timings, talk prompts, misconceptions and answers are all on the one page.
No maths background needed
This pack is written for the busy generalist teacher. Each plan explains the idea in plain words, lists the misconceptions children bring, and gives the answers, so you can walk in and teach it. The big idea of the week is short: a five-digit number is the same place-value house children met in Year 2, with two more rooms above the hundreds. Ten of any place still bundle into one of the next.
One day, one lesson
The five lessons fill a week of maths, one lesson of about 50 minutes a day. Run them in order: each day stands on the one before. Every plan marks a split point if your timetable runs two shorter sessions.
How we write big numbers
From five digits up, Australian style leaves a small space between the thousands and the hundreds: 10 000, 62 000, 40 600. Four-digit numbers stay closed up: 4500. The space is where you say “thousand” when you read the number aloud. No commas.
The week at a glance
One lesson a day for a week. Each day stands on the day before, so run them in order.
| Day | Lesson | Children learn and do | On screen |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ten thousands make a ten-thousand | Roll over from 9000 to 10 000 and build five-digit numbers from ten-thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens and ones | The footy-crowd odometer |
| 2 | Say it, write it, pull it apart | Read and write big numbers in words and numerals, and write them as a sum of their places | Pull it apart |
| 3 | Big numbers on the long road | Place numbers on a 0 to 100 000 line and name the two ten-thousands each one is between | The outback highway; Between which ten-thousands? |
| 4 | Which crowd is bigger? | Compare place by place from the left with the signs, and order four numbers | The grand-final ladder |
| 5 | Digit cards and mystery numbers | Make the largest and smallest number from five digits and crack clue puzzles | Five digit cards: front seat first |
How the week builds
Day 1 builds five-digit numbers from their places; Day 2 gives them their names in words, numerals and expanded form; Day 3 places them on a long line; Day 4 compares and orders them; and Day 5 makes and cracks them with digit cards. It builds on Numbers to 1000 and Renaming Numbers from Year 2, and it is the place value that every later calculation with big numbers leans on.
Materials for the week (one trip)
- From the classroom: scissors, pencils, this pack printed.
- For Day 3: a long strip of masking tape or string along the floor, and pegs or sticky notes for a floor number line.
- Cut out once, use all week: the place-value cards, the digit cards and the crowd cards in this pack. No maths equipment to buy.
Words for the word wall
ten-thousand, thousand, hundred, place, digit, numeral, expanded form, greater than, less than, order, between, nearer
Dear families
This week in maths, Year 3 explores numbers beyond 10 000. We build them from ten-thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, read and write them, place them on a long line, and put them in order.
Try this at home
- Hunt for a big number of the day: a footy crowd, the kilometres on a car, a town’s population, a distance on a road sign. Read it aloud together: the space in the number is where you say “thousand”.
- Ask how many ten-thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens and ones it has. Is any place empty?
- Spot two big numbers (two crowds, two prices of cars) and ask which is bigger, and how you know.
- Name the two ten-thousands your number sits between, and which one it is nearer.
My big numbers this week
Fill one row a day. Tick when you have read it aloud and pulled it apart.
| Day | My big number | I read it | I pulled it apart | It is between ___ and ___ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | □ | □ | ||
| Tuesday | □ | □ | ||
| Wednesday | □ | □ | ||
| Thursday | □ | □ | ||
| Friday | □ | □ |
Printed from the free seegongsik Numbers Beyond 10 000 teaching pack · seegongsik.com/au/y3/number/AC9M3N01/pack
Ten thousands make a ten-thousand
Children roll a number over from 9000 to 10 000 and build five-digit numbers from their places. The rules are the Year 2 rules: ten of one place make one of the next.
We are learning to
- explain that ten thousands make one ten-thousand, as ten hundreds make one thousand,
- build a five-digit number from ten-thousands, thousands, hundreds, tens and ones,
- say how many of each place a number has, including an empty place.
Success criteria
- I can build a five-digit number with place-value cards.
- I can say how many of each place it has.
You need
The place-value cards (cut-out sheet 1), one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Roll it over Count on in hundreds from 700 to 1000, then in thousands from 6000 to 9000, and stop. Write 10 000 on the board, with the space. Ask: “Ten hundreds made a thousand. What do ten thousands make?” |
| 30 min | Seat the crowd Build 13 420 on the odometer together (see the board box). Pairs build 27 085, 40 600, 58 213 and 90 046 with the cards and fill the worksheet table. Ask: “Which place is empty in 27 085? What does the zero do?” |
| 10 min | Read it back Lay out the cards 50 000, 1000, 70 and 4. Children write the numeral and read it aloud. Ask: “Is 40 600 the same as 4600? Count the places to prove it.” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after 27 085; start Session B by rolling over from 9000 again.
Watch for these ideas
- Reading 13 420 as “one, three, four, two, zero”. Read the thousands part, then the rest.
- Leaving out an empty place: 27 085 built as 2785. Every place keeps its seat.
- Thinking a ten-thousand is “a big thousand”. It is ten thousands, as a thousand is ten hundreds.
Answers
- Table, ten-thousands to ones: 13 420 is 1, 3, 4, 2, 0; 27 085 is 2, 7, 0, 8, 5; 40 600 is 4, 0, 6, 0, 0; 58 213 is 5, 8, 2, 1, 3; 90 046 is 9, 0, 0, 4, 6.
- Roll it over: 10 000; 10 000; 20 000; 40 000. Build it: 36 208; 70 510. Read it back: 51 074.
- Own crowd: no window holds more than 9, and the windows match the numeral.
Seat the crowd
Build each crowd number with your place-value cards. Then write how many of each place.
| Crowd | Ten-thousands | Thousands | Hundreds | Tens | Ones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 420 | |||||
| 27 085 | |||||
| 40 600 | |||||
| 58 213 | |||||
| 90 046 |
Roll it over
9000 + 1000 = ________ 9999 + 1 = ________
19 000 + 1000 = ________ 39 900 + 100 = ________
Build it from the places
3 ten-thousands, 6 thousands, 2 hundreds, 0 tens, 8 ones = ____________
7 ten-thousands, 0 thousands, 5 hundreds, 1 ten, 0 ones = ____________
Your own crowd
Choose a five-digit number. Draw it as five odometer windows and write it here: ____________
Say it, write it, pull it apart
A big number has three faces: the numeral, the words, and the sum of its places. Children move between all three and find out why every empty place still needs its zero.
We are learning to
- read a five-digit number aloud in two parts: the thousands, then the rest,
- write a big number in words, and the numeral from words with every zero in place,
- write a number as the sum of its places (expanded form) and put it back together.
Success criteria
- I can read and write a five-digit number in words and in numerals.
- I can pull a number apart into its places and say what each zero does.
You need
The place-value cards from Day 1, one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Say it in two parts Write 13 420. Cover the last three digits and read: thirteen thousand. Uncover them: four hundred and twenty. Repeat with 27 085 and 65 302. Ask: “Where does the word thousand go? How does the space help?” |
| 30 min | Pull it apart Pull numbers apart on the board (see the board box) while pairs lay their cards side by side to match: 13 420 is 10 000, 3000, 400 and 20. Then the worksheet. Ask: “40 600 has three empty places. What do those zeros add? Why keep them?” |
| 10 min | Zero detective Write 4600, 40 600, 46 000 and 40 060. Children read each aloud and build it. Ask: “The same two digits made four numbers. What changed each time?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after pulling 40 600 apart; start Session B with Zero detective.
Watch for these ideas
- Writing forty thousand, six hundred as 40000600 or 406 000: the parts must share the five places.
- Dropping zeros, so 50 007 becomes 507. Each zero holds a place open.
- Writing + 0 for an empty place in expanded form. Not wrong, just not needed.
Answers
- Words: thirteen thousand, four hundred and twenty; forty thousand, six hundred; fifty thousand and seven. Numerals: 27 085; 65 302; 90 400.
- Pull it apart: 20 000 + 7000 + 80 + 5; 60 000 + 5000 + 300 + 2; 30 000 + 1000 + 400 + 50. Put back: 42 073; 80 609; 11 111.
- Zero detective: 40 600 has 4 ten-thousands, 4600 only 4 thousands. The zeros keep the 4 in the ten-thousands place.
Three faces of a big number
Write it in words
Write the numeral
twenty-seven thousand and eighty-five = ____________
sixty-five thousand, three hundred and two = ____________
ninety thousand, four hundred = ____________
Pull it apart
27 085 = ________ + ________ + ________ + ________
65 302 = ________ + ________ + ________ + ________
31 450 = ________ + ________ + ________ + ________
Put it back together
40 000 + 2000 + 70 + 3 = ____________
80 000 + 600 + 9 = ____________
10 000 + 1000 + 100 + 10 + 1 = ____________
Zero detective
Why can’t we write 40 600 as 4600? Use the word place in your answer.
Big numbers on the long road
The number line does not stop at 1000. A big number is still a position, reached from zero by jumps, and its two neighbouring ten-thousands tell you which block of road it lives on.
We are learning to
- place a five-digit number on a 0 to 100 000 line,
- reach a big number by jumps of 10 000 and 1000,
- name the two ten-thousands a number is between, and the one it is nearer.
Success criteria
- I can mark a big number in about the right place on a line.
- I can name the two ten-thousands it is between and the one it is nearer.
You need
The worksheet, one per child. A strip of masking tape on the floor with eleven sticky notes (0, 10 000, 20 000 and so on to 100 000). The crowd cards (cut-out sheet 2).
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Count the signs Count by ten-thousands to 100 000 while children space the notes evenly along the tape. Ask: “How many jumps of ten thousand from 0 to 100 000? Which number is halfway?” |
| 30 min | Drive to the sign Drive the highway and find the blocks on the board (see the board box), then children do the worksheet. Ask: “46 700: nearer 40 000 or 50 000? Which digit tells you?” |
| 10 min | Stand on the line Hand out the crowd cards. Children stand where their number lives on the floor line. Ask: “Who is between 20 000 and 30 000? Who is nearer 30 000?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after the jumps; start Session B with the blocks and the floor line.
Watch for these ideas
- Placing 8400 past 10 000 because it looks big. With no ten-thousands digit, it lives in the first block.
- Choosing the nearer ten-thousand from the first digit. The thousands digit decides: 46 700 is nearer 50 000.
- Spacing the floor notes by guesswork. Every jump of ten thousand is the same length.
Answers
- Roadhouse: 6 and 2 jumps. 47 000 is 4 and 7; 83 000 is 8 and 3; 30 000 is 3 and 0; 9000 is 0 and 9.
- Marks: 25 000 halfway between the second and third ticks; 70 000 on the seventh tick; 48 000 just before the middle; 91 000 just past the ninth tick.
- 46 700: 40 000 and 50 000, nearer 50 000. 13 800: 10 000 and 20 000, nearer 10 000. 90 500: 90 000 and 100 000, nearer 90 000. 35 000: 30 000 and 40 000, halfway. 71 200: 70 000 and 80 000, nearer 70 000. 8400: 0 and 10 000, nearer 10 000.
Every big number has a place on the road
Drive to the roadhouse
The roadhouse sign on the highway reads 62 000. Reach it from 0 with jumps: ____ jumps of 10 000 and ____ jumps of 1000.
How many jumps?
| Sign | Jumps of 10 000 | Jumps of 1000 |
|---|---|---|
| 47 000 | ||
| 83 000 | ||
| 30 000 | ||
| 9000 |
Mark the numbers
Mark each number on the line with a dot and label it: 25 000, 70 000, 48 000, 91 000.
Between which two ten-thousands?
| Number | Between ________ and ________ | Nearer to |
|---|---|---|
| 46 700 | ||
| 13 800 | ||
| 90 500 | ||
| 35 000 | ||
| 71 200 | ||
| 8400 |
Which crowd is bigger?
To compare big numbers, read like a judge, biggest place first: ten-thousands, and only on a tie the thousands, then hundreds, tens and ones. A big digit in a small place fools no one.
We are learning to
- compare two five-digit numbers place by place, from the left,
- write the comparison with <, > or = and read it aloud,
- put four big numbers in order, smallest first or largest first.
Success criteria
- I can say which of two big numbers is larger, and use the places to say why.
- I can put four big numbers in order.
You need
The crowd cards (cut-out sheet 2), one set per group of four. The worksheet, one per child.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Biggest crowd Write 9870 and 13 240 and vote on the bigger, then count the places. Then 13 240 and 13 420: tied to the thousands, so the hundreds decide. Ask: “9 is bigger than 1. So why is 13 240 the bigger crowd?” |
| 30 min | Climb the ladder Climb the three ladders on the board (see the board box). Groups order the same crowd cards on the table, smallest first, then children do the worksheet. Ask: “27 018 and 27 081 start the same. Where do they first differ?” |
| 10 min | Read the signs Read 38 900 < 51 200 aloud: the pointed end faces the smaller number. Pairs read three more to each other. Ask: “Does your sentence say less than or greater than? Does it make sense?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after the first ladder; start Session B with the card sort.
Watch for these ideas
- Being fooled by a big digit in a small place. Count the places first: four digits is always less than five.
- Comparing from the right. The ones only matter when every place to their left is tied.
- Reading the sign backwards. Say the whole sentence aloud and check it.
Answers
- Ladders: 9870, 13 240, 13 420, 41 005; 6300, 36 000, 60 300, 63 000; 27 018, 27 081, 27 108, 27 180.
- Signs: <, >, <, <, >. Smallest first: 5210, 25 100, 51 200, 52 100 and 8900, 80 009, 80 090, 80 900.
- Biggest crowd first: B, A, C, D (74 213, 47 312, 47 231, 43 712).
- Sam is not right: 13 240 has a ten-thousand, more than all of 9870. In between: any number from 27 082 to 27 107.
Order the crowd
Greater than or less than?
Write < (is less than), > (is greater than) or = in each gap.
| 38 900 | 51 200 | |
| 49 800 | 49 080 | |
| 9999 | 10 000 | |
| 70 060 | 70 600 | |
| 24 513 | 24 315 |
Smallest first
52 100, 25 100, 5210, 51 200: ________, ________, ________, ________
80 009, 80 090, 8900, 80 900: ________, ________, ________, ________
Biggest crowd first
| Ground A | Ground B | Ground C | Ground D |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47 312 | 74 213 | 47 231 | 43 712 |
Order the grounds from biggest crowd to smallest: ________, ________, ________, ________
Is Sam right?
Sam says 9870 is bigger than 13 240, because 9 is bigger than 1. Is Sam right? Explain.
In between
Write a crowd number that is between 27 081 and 27 108: ____________
Digit cards and mystery numbers
The same five digits make wildly different numbers; only the seating changes. Children make the largest and smallest numbers, crack place clues, and finish the week with the class quiz.
We are learning to
- seat five digits to make the largest and smallest five-digit number, and say why,
- keep zero out of the front seat of a five-digit number,
- use clues about places to find a mystery number, and write our own clues.
Success criteria
- I can make the largest and smallest number from five digit cards and explain the order.
- I can use place clues to find one exact number.
You need
The digit cards (cut-out sheet 2), one set per pair. The worksheet, one per child. The unit’s self-check quiz.
Lesson flow (about 50 minutes)
| 10 min | Front seat Pairs make the biggest number they can from 3, 5, 8, 1 and 4, compare, check on the board, then make the smallest. Ask: “Which seat is worth the most? Which digit deserves it?” |
| 25 min | Make and crack Children work through the worksheet with their cards. Early finishers write a mystery number for a partner. Ask: “Why can’t 0 take the front seat? What would 02 467 really be?” |
| 15 min | Class quiz Run the self-check quiz as a team game: teams hold up one, two or three fingers for their choice before you press. Ask: “Before we press, which place gave the answer away?” |
Two half-sessions instead? Split after Make and crack; run the quiz as its own short session.
Watch for these ideas
- Putting 0 in the front seat: 02 467 is really 2467, a four-digit number. Zero goes second.
- Keeping the cards in the order they came. Sort the digits biggest first.
- Using one clue and stopping. Check the answer against every clue at the end.
Answers
- 6, 0, 3, 9, 1: largest 96 310, smallest 10 369. 4, 4, 2, 7, 5: largest 75 442, smallest 24 457.
- Make it fit: any number with 5 in the front seat, from 51 238 to 58 321; the largest is 58 321.
- Mystery numbers: 36 045; 70 999; 30 600. Own clues: they point to exactly one number.
Make it, crack it
Largest and smallest
Use each digit once. Zero may not sit in the front seat.
6, 0, 3, 9, 1 Largest: ____________ Smallest: ____________
4, 4, 2, 7, 5 Largest: ____________ Smallest: ____________
Make it fit
Use the digits 5, 2, 8, 1 and 3 once each. Make a number between 50 000 and 60 000: ____________
What is the largest number you can make that still fits? ____________
Mystery numbers
1. I have five digits. My ten-thousands digit is 3. My thousands digit is double my ten-thousands digit. My hundreds place is empty. My tens digit is 4, and my ones digit is one more than my tens digit.
I am ____________
2. I am between 70 000 and 80 000. My thousands digit is 0. My hundreds, tens and ones digits are all 9.
I am ____________
3. I am 1000 more than 29 600.
I am ____________
Write your own mystery number
Write three clues that lead to just one five-digit number. Swap with a partner.
Place-value cards
Cut out the cards. To build a number, lay one card from each row side by side and read them as one sum: 20 000 and 7000 and 80 and 5 make 27 085. Leave a row out when its place is empty. One set per pair is plenty.
Ten-thousands
Thousands
Hundreds
Tens
Ones
Teacher note: the cards get shorter as the place gets smaller, so a built row reads biggest place first, the same order as the digits. It is the same five windows as the footy-crowd odometer on screen.
Digit and crowd cards
Cut out the cards. Use the digit cards to make numbers (Day 5). Use the crowd cards to order numbers on the table (Day 4) and to stand on the floor number line (Day 3).
Digit cards (two sets)
Crowd cards
Teacher note: the crowd cards are the three ladders from the grand-final ladder on screen, in the order the screen shows them. Hand out one ladder of four per group.
What we know: Numbers Beyond 10 000
Work on your own. Show your thinking if you can.
- 52 307 is ____ ten-thousands, ____ thousands, ____ hundreds, ____ tens and ____ ones.
- Write the numeral for thirty thousand, four hundred and six: ____________
- Write 18 250 in words: ______________________________________________
- Pull it apart: 64 019 = ________ + ________ + ________ + ________
- Which two ten-thousands is 57 800 between? ________ and ________. Which one is it nearer? ________
- Write <, > or = between them: 40 090 ____ 40 900
- Put these in order, smallest first: 21 300, 12 300, 9300, 23 100. ________, ________, ________, ________
- Use the digits 0, 8, 2, 5 and 7 once each. Largest: ____________ Smallest: ____________
How did this week feel? Circle one: I can teach it · I am getting there · I need more help
Answers and marking guide
Answers
- 5 ten-thousands, 2 thousands, 3 hundreds, 0 tens and 7 ones.
- 30 406 (zeros hold the empty thousands and tens).
- eighteen thousand, two hundred and fifty.
- 60 000 + 4000 + 10 + 9 (the hundreds place is empty, so it adds nothing).
- 50 000 and 60 000; nearer 60 000 (7 thousands is past halfway).
- 40 090 < 40 900 (they tie until the hundreds: 0 hundreds against 9).
- 9300, 12 300, 21 300, 23 100.
- Largest 87 520; smallest 20 578 (zero goes second, not first).
A quick three-level guide
| Idea | Working towards | At standard | Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|
| Represent (Q1, Q4) | builds a five-digit number with cards and help | states every place, including an empty one, and writes the expanded form | explains what a zero does to the digits on its left |
| Read and write (Q2, Q3) | reads and writes numbers to 10 000 | reads and writes five-digit numbers in words and numerals, zeros in place | uses the space convention without being reminded |
| Order and place (Q5, Q6, Q7) | compares with the cards beside it | compares place by place from the left and names the neighbouring ten-thousands | handles the four-digit number in a list of five-digit ones without slipping |
| Apply (Q8) | makes the largest number but not the smallest | makes both and keeps zero out of the front seat | explains why the order of the digits gives the largest and smallest |
Eight questions, four ideas. A child at standard answers most questions and can say why, reading the biggest place first.
Weekly class record
Jot a tick as you move around the room; the mini-check fills any gaps. A tick a day is plenty.
| Name | Builds with places | Says and writes | Places on a line | Orders and compares | Makes numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The five columns are the five days: build, say and write, place on a line, order, and make.