Large Number Place Value: Comparing Countries with Decimal Millions and Billions

This engaging place value activity helps reinforce place value skills to the billions using the populations of countries around the world. It is an interesting and relevant way for students in the intermediate or middle school grades (grade 4, grade 5, grade 6, grade 7, or grade 8), and it could easily tie in with your social studies curriculum.

If students have individual devices and internet access, they can search for the populations of the countries independently. If not, you could find the populations and then read them aloud for students to record- which is actually a great way to practice place value skills too! Then students will need to work with the numbers: rounding, ordering, estimating, and calculating.

This activity can work well when completed in partners, small groups, or independently- it could even be a homework task!

Grades to Use With: This activity works well in the middle grades (from grades 4-8) or in a high school special education classroom.

How to Use: Students need to find the populations of 10 countries: Turkey, Chile, Brazil, China, Canada, United States, Israel, Iceland, Ethiopia, and Mexico.

They write each population in standard form and then round to decimal millions (for example 37.2 million).

Next, they write the countries' populations in order from smallest to largest and answer some questions that compare the populations.

They also write three of the populations in expanded form, and calculate the exact difference between two of the countries- all great ways to practice place value in real world tasks!

What's Included:

A total of 3 pages:

Title Page

Two-Page Worksheet in PDF Format: Ready for you to print and use immediately!

Standards:

CCSS4.NBT.A.2

Place Value Skills: Expanded Form, Comparing Numbers

CCSS4.NBT.A.3

Place Value Skills: Rounding Numbers to Any Place Value Spot

CCSS5.NBT.A.1

Place Value Skills: Understanding the Relationship Between Place Value Spots