Max Maths, Year 3, Try it, Comparing and ordering numbers up to 1000 (1)

In this exercise from Max Maths for Year 3, students are tasked with comparing and ordering numbers up to 1000 using visual aids such as counting blocks. The objective is to determine which of two given groups, Group A or Group B, has a smaller number of counting blocks. To find the answer, students must first check if both groups have the same number of hundreds. If they do, they then move on to comparing the tens. Should the tens be equal as well, the comparison comes down to the ones. Whichever group has fewer ones will be the group with the smaller number. The activity is designed to help children understand place value and improve their ability to compare and order numbers effectively.

The exercise provides a step-by-step approach to comparing numbers. It begins by ensuring that the number of hundreds in both groups is the same, eliminating the need to compare the largest place value. The focus then shifts to the tens place, and if necessary, to the ones place. By comparing the ones, students can conclude which group has the smaller number. The lesson reinforces the concept that when numbers have the same hundreds and tens, the number of ones determines their size relative to each other. This comparison results in identifying the smaller number between the two groups.