Students need to understand is how numbers are grouped into place values. For example, the number 13 can be grouped as 13 individual pieces or by one tens group and three ones added together. Provide your students manipulative blocks. Each colored block represents a number of items. For example, large green blocks equal 100, red strips equals 10 and small yellow blocks represent ones. Provide students with numbers and find out the different ways students can produce the number using these blocks.
On a sheet of paper have students create rows and columns for each place value. For example, if the students were going to work in the ten thousands, five columns would be needed. At the top of the columns, have the students write in the correct place values working from right to left. This means the ones column would be located at the far right and the highest place value would be to the left. Write a number on the board and ask the students to write the number in the chart. Ask questions. For example, if the number was 43,721, you might ask, "The 2 is in what place value?" or "Which number is in the thousands place value?"
The standard form of a number is how the number is traditionally written. The expanded form of the number breaks it out into individual place values. For example, 764 would be written as 700 + 60 + 4. Provide the students with standard numbers that they are to convert into expanded form. Reverse the questioning and provide students with numbers that are in expanded form and ask them to provide the answer in traditional form. Other questions can be asked while working with these topics. If the number is 764 and the students are converting it into expanded form, ask how many groups of hundreds are there in the expanded form.
A lesson that keeps kids interested is to play the "What Number Am I?" game. Provide students manipulatives if they need them so they can work out the answers to the problem. Ask the students questions such as, "When 4 tens and three ones are added to me I become 63, what number am I?" The students then can create the number 63 using blocks and then must subtract out four 10 strips and three one blocks, leaving two 10 blocks and no one blocks, which is 20. Then ask the students what number is in the tens place and what number is in the ones place.