Place Value Sometimes Always Never

The "Sometimes, Always, Never" activity by KS2Gems is an engaging teaching resource for Year 3 students to deepen their understanding of place value. In this activity, children are presented with various statements relating to place value and are tasked with classifying each statement as 'sometimes true', 'always true', or 'never true'. This encourages critical thinking as students must provide examples or counterexamples to support their reasoning. The activity is designed to be a thought-provoking starter that not only reinforces key mathematical concepts but also promotes the use of mathematical vocabulary in a practical context.

To extend the challenge, for statements that are 'sometimes true', students are prompted to explain the conditions under which the statements hold true. Additionally, they are tasked with modifying these 'sometimes' statements to create new ones that are unequivocally 'always true' or 'never true'. This aspect of the activity requires a deeper level of cognitive engagement, as students must manipulate the conditions of the statements while considering the fundamental principles of place value. Examples of statements include "Ten 10s make one hundred" and "When 10 is added to any number the hundreds column stays the same", providing a range of scenarios for children to explore and discuss.