Explore the Power of Zero at the Place Value House
The Place Value House is a very odd house. It has four front doors, and each door has a value from 1 to 1,000. The more zeros a door has, the higher its value! Use this odd house to explore the power of zero through place value with your child.
Materials
Warm Up
Start by helping your child to cut out the number cards on the last page. Next, have your child decorate the Place Value House using markers or crayons.
Say a number, such as 320. Ask your child to make that number by putting number cards on the correct doors of the Place Value House. You may want to start by demonstrating and explaining to your child as you go. For example, for 320, the zero goes on the ones door, the 2 goes on the tens door, and the 3 goes on the hundreds door.
Ask your child, “What would happen if the 2 and the zero switched doors? What new number would we have?”
Continue moving the same number cards to different doors. Each time you make a new number ask your child to name it. Then ask: “Is this number bigger or smaller than the one we just made? How do you know?”
Finally, add a fourth number card and place it on the door with the 1,000 under it. Now, experiment with creating, changing and comparing numbers in the thousands.
Crack the Case
What Happened?
Place the number 51 on the Place Value House. Ask your child to close her eyes. Switch the numbers so the 5 is on the ones door and the 1 is on the tens door. Ask your child to open her eyes and ask her, “What happened? How did the number change? What did I do to change the number? Is the new number smaller or larger?” Now invite your child to change the number while you close your eyes.
Make it More
Find two or three packages of food in your kitchen with labels that tell you how many items are inside each package. Have your child use a pen to add one, two, or even three zeros to the different quantities. Together, make up a story about what it would be like to have that many. For example, We used to have 6 ice cream sandwiches, but you made it 600. What would it be like to have 600 ice cream sandwiches? Where would you put them? What would you do with that many?
Is it Possible?
Use the number cards to build a number on the Place Value House. For example, you might set out the number 1,300. Ask, “Is it possible to do this many jumping jacks in one minute? Why not?” Keep moving the numbers to new place value doors until your child predicts, “Yes, it is possible!” (For example, you might be able to do 13 or even 31 jumping jacks in one minute.) Now switch roles and have your child build a number and ask you a question about that number. For example, your child might ask if it’s possible for a 200-foot dog to fit in your house.
Math