Grade 4 - Number (Number Concepts)

The sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will demonstrate a number sense for whole numbers from 0 to 10 000 and for proper fractions.

It is expected that students will:

estimate and then count the number of objects in a set (0 to 1000), and compare the estimate with the actual number
use skip counting (both forward and backward) to support their understanding of pattern in multiplication and division
compare and order numbers up to 10 000
read and write number words to 1000
round numbers to the nearest 10, 100, and 1000
represent and describe numbers to 10 000 in a variety of ways
demonstrate concretely, pictorially, and symbolically place-value concepts to give meaning to numbers up to 10 000
sort numbers into categories using one or more attributes
demonstrate an understanding of hundredths as part of a region or set
connect proper fractions to decimal fractions (tenths and hundredths) using manipulatives, diagrams, and symbols

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Number (Number Concepts) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

The ability to understand and use numbers in computation, measurement, and estimation situations takes many years to develop. In Grade 4, students begin to consolidate their understanding of whole numbers and are introduced to fractions and decimals. Students should be encouraged to use estimation and mental arithmetic as they apply their learning to day-to-day tasks. Daily warm-up activities help sharpen students' number sense.

Provide students with materials such as base-ten blocks and have them explore the relationships among the sizes of the cubes, rods, and flats. Have students build models to represent numbers, changing the value of the centimetre cubes as required.
To help students understand the real-world applications of their learning, ask them to do activities such as bringing to class a wide variety of the large numbers that they can find in newspapers and magazines, and then having them discuss the meaning and size of the numbers used.
Students can show their understanding of numbers by classifying, sorting, and talking about the numbers and the reasons for their classifications.
Challenge students to write such numbers as those between one-half and one-quarter, or smaller than 0.1, or closer to 1200 than 1100.

Reproduced with permission from Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics: Addenda Series, Grades K-6: Fourth Grade Book, copyright 1992 by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

As in the primary years, the assessment of students' ability to understand mathematical terms and concepts is best achieved through a natural extension of instructional activities. Learn the extent to which students demonstrate a number sense for whole numbers and proper fractions by observing what students do as they work on activities, listening to them as they work together or answer questions, and looking at and discussing their completed work.

Observe

Observe students as they use blocks to build models for a number. Do they represent place value with an appropriate block?
Given pictures of base-ten blocks, have students write the correct numeral.

Question

Gain a sense of students' level of understanding by asking questions to probe their number sense. For example, ask students: Is a price of $289 reasonable for a new luxury car?
Ask students to explain the fractional values of pieces shown in their drawings or patterns.

Collect

Have students place their work in their portfolios. Review a series of their work samples to assess their progress in terms of accuracy, complexity of calculations, and variety of representation.