While typically the pages of MathFactLab's blog will be dedicated to helping students develop math fact fluency, because I am a fifth grade teacher and have much more to teach my students than just the multiplication facts, I have also created a great many other math resources - such as this one for practicing decimal place value.  And these, I am very have to share with anyone who might find them helpful.  

Bet, Roll, Shade and Order: A fifth-grade decimal place-value game

This is a simple dice-rolling solitaire math game where students shade area models to match decimal numbers in the tenths, hundredths and thousandths places.  They then order the numbers from greatest to least.  It's a good game for reinforcing reading, writing, shading, and comparing decimal numbers to the thousandths place.

Number of players: 1

Materials:

• 1 double-sided 8.5 x 14 copy of game
• 1 die, preferably 10-sided
• Pencil

Preparation 

Before playing the game, the students and I use 'Place-Value Whole Class Decimal Grids' to practice shading in area models to match decimal numbers that we have created by rolling dice.  My copy is under the document camera.  They have a copy on a clipboard while working on the carpet.

I begin by explaining that the whole square represents one whole.  The next square is cut into ten pieces, so each piece is a tenth.  We roll a die to see how many tenths we write in the blank.  The students and I then shade the area model to match what we have written down.  

The next row introduces hundredths.  To make it a bit fun and to prepare for the game ahead, before starting each roll, I ask students to put a checkmark above the grid that they think will end of being bigger.  It's total luck, but it increases engagement.  

We roll a die to fill in the blank for the square cut into tenths and roll twice to fill in the blanks for the hundredths square as well.  Students then shade each and draw a comparison symbol between the two, showing which is greater.  Those who picked the right square tend to cheer, and we practice saying each of the numbers we have created.

This continues onto the next page, where thousandths are introduced.  After this, I feel they are ready for the game.

The Rules of Bet, Roll, Shade and Order

I like to tell the kids that the name of the game and the rules are one in the same.  

1. Students bet which of the four squares in the first row will end up being the largest.
2. Students roll the die to fill in all of the blanks in the row.  They must fill in the blanks in order.
3. Students shade in each of the squares to match the numbers they have created.
4. Student list the four numbers that they have created to the right of the grids in order from greatest to least.
5. Students give themselves points based on how well their bet worked out.  4 points if their bet turned out to be the biggest down to one point if their bet ends up being the smallest.
6. Students repeat this process for the next three rows, keeping track of their scores as they go.  
7. The goal for them is to get a high score.  For us, it's to reinforce decimal place-value understanding.  

I invented this game about four or five years ago and it is always a hit.  I don't think it would take much to make it a two-person game, where students earn an extra point in each round where their chosen number is bigger than their opponent's.  The person with the highest score at the end wins.

Download Place-Value Whole Class Decimal Grids.

Download Bet, Roll, Shade and Order.

This resource has been helpful to me in meeting the following Common Core Math Standards: