Comet's Star Count: How Big Is 10,000?

Comet the giraffe counts stars, and tonight the numbers get big. Students build four- and five-digit numbers with base-ten blocks, figure out what to do when the big cubes run out, and discover that 10,000 is 10 thousands, or 100 grids of 100. Every direction is narrated, and each wrong answer gets a spoken hint that names the likely mistake. About 13 minutes, Grade 4 place value.

• Base-ten block builds with spoken hints
• 13 narrated activity scenes
• A closing question to talk over with a grown-up

• Build four- and five-digit numbers with base-ten blocks.
• Tell how many blocks of each kind a number needs, and what to use when the big cubes run out.
• See 10,000 as 10 thousands, or 100 grids of 100.