4NBT2 – Trillions

[kimbergunn]

Good afternoon,

In 4NBT2, the standard states:
“Read and write multi-digit whole numbers using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. Compare two multi-digit numbers based on meanings of the digits in each place, using > < and = symbols to record the results of comparisons.”

Question: Within the Progression document (p.12), it states “To read numerals between 1,000 and 1,000,000, students need to understand the role of commas. Each sequence of three digits made by commas is reads as hundreds, tens, and ones, followed by the name of the appropriate base-thousand unit (thousand, million, billion, trillion, etc.)

In instruction, would there need to be an emphasis about billions and trillions? (I understand you are showing them a pattern here, but the top end of 4th grade appears to be millions).

Also, the term “Base-Thousand” is new to students. Would this need to be directly taught as well?

Thank you much!

Sincerely,

Kimberly

[Bill McCallum]

These are both curricular decisions, not dictated by the standards. There are limits on the number of digits in some of the Grade 4 operations standards, but not on the size of numbers that students see without operations. the term “multi-digit” does not come with an inherent limit, so it is up to the curriculum developer to decide the limit there. As for base-thousand units, I think it was an ad hoc term to refer to thousands, millions, etc., and not intended as a new piece of terminology to be taught to children.

[Author]

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