aidemia--modules-lessonstartideas_type	Give a creative idea how to begin a lesson
Which subject	Mathematics
What age group	Year or Grade 6
What topic	Place value
Quantity	1
Any other preferences

Creative Lesson Starter: Exploring Place Value with a Treasure Hunt

Introduction

Welcome Year 6 mathematicians! Today, we are embarking on an exciting adventure into the world of place value! Before we dive into our exploration, let’s get warmed up with a thrilling treasure hunt that will set the stage for our lesson.

Treasure Hunt Challenge

Objective

Your mission is to find the hidden treasures (clues) that will help you understand the importance of place value in our number system.

Materials Needed

• Treasure Maps (printed worksheets with clues)
• Number Tokens (small pieces of paper with different numbers written on them)
• Treasure Chest (a box or bag that contains some small treats or rewards)

Instructions

1. Split into Teams: Form small teams of 3-4 students.
2. Clue Locations: Each team will receive a treasure map with clues that lead to different locations around the classroom or playground.
3. Solve the Riddles: At each location, teams will find a number token. But here’s the twist! Each token has a riddle related to place value you will need to solve in order to collect it.
   • Example Riddle: “I am the number 5 in the thousands place of 5,432. What is my value?”
4. Collect and Record: After solving each riddle, write down the number straight away and continue hunting for the next clue.
5. Find the Treasure: Once you have collected all your clues, gather back at the classroom. The first team to solve all the riddles and find the Treasure Chest wins the rewards!

Conclusion

This treasure hunt is a fun way to kick off our lesson on place value! Each clue you uncovered illustrates how different digits in a number hold different values depending on their place.

Transition

Once we’ve celebrated our treasure hunt successes and enjoyed our treats, we’ll discuss the place value system in more detail and explore how we can use it to make sense of larger numbers. Are you ready to delve deeper into this mathematical adventure? Let’s get started!