Flying paper airplanes, running relay races, and analyzing the data! This Decimal Place Value Unit, intended for 5^th grade students, includes all of this! Intended to help students develop a deep content knowledge of decimal place value to explain and illustrate multiplicative patterns, read and write decimal numbers in various forms, and compare decimals numbers to the thousandths place, this unit will allow the teaching and learning of decimal place value to be fun, hit the standards, and be culturally responsive!

Fifth grade is a pivotal year for students, and often a very challenging one as they learn who they are as students and individuals in the world. A major goal of this unit is to empower teachers and students in urban school settings by being culturally responsive. Focusing on the numbers in their world, students will engage with the past, present, and future of math. Connecting to the past will increase a positive self-identity. Connecting to the present will allow students to see a purpose in learning and doing math. Connecting math to the future will allow students to learn how math can benefit them and help them achieve their hopes and dreams.

Many lessons in this unit are “storified,” “gamified,” and “social,” all things 5^th grade students love! Have fun!

(Developed for Mathematics, grade 5)