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Powers of Ten

Fifth graders explore how ten builds on itself, writing powers of ten with exponents and spotting the patterns in zeros and decimal points when numbers are multiplied or divided by ten.

Grade 5Powers of Ten50 minutes1 class periodGradual ReleaseExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define a power of ten.
  • ✓Write them with exponents.
  • ✓Spot the zero pattern.
  • ✓Shift the decimal point.
Essential Question

Ten tens make a hundred, ten hundreds make a thousand, and each step adds a zero. How can exponents capture that pattern in a compact way?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore Powers of Ten · Interactive

Explore Powers of Ten

Project this and open each card to explore powers of ten, from exponents to the patterns in zeros and decimal points.

🔟 Explore powers of tenTry it

The Lesson · Gradual Release (I Do · We Do · You Do)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Growing by Tens

5 min

Ten tens make a hundred, ten hundreds make a thousand. Each step adds a zero. Is there a shorter way to write these big numbers?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show 10, 100, 1000.
  • Ask what the pattern is.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Explore Powers of Ten

12 min

Students explore powers of ten.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Explore Powers of Ten.
  • Open each card.
  • Note the ideas.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Explore.
  • Read.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Count the Zeros

13 min

Students connect exponents to zeros.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write a power of ten, like 10 to the 4th.
  • Count how many zeros it has.
  • Write the number out.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write.
  • Count.
  • Write.
4

Create — Decimal Shift

15 min

Students multiply and divide by ten.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a decimal number.
  • Multiply it by 10, 100, 1000.
  • Watch the decimal point move right.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Multiply.
  • Watch.
5

Reflect — The Zero Pattern

5 min

Students reflect on powers of ten.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • How many zeros does 10 to the 5th have?
  • Which way does the decimal move when you divide by 100?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

CCSS
5.NBT.A.2

Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying by powers of 10, and use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.

CCSS
5.NBT.A.1

Recognize that a digit in one place represents ten times what it represents in the place to its right.

CCSS
6.EE.A.1

Write and evaluate numerical expressions involving whole-number exponents.

CCSS
MP.7

Look for and make use of structure.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Power-of-ten cards (10, 100, 1000).
  • Sentence frame: “10 to the ___ has ___ zeros.”
  • Explore one card at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with 10, 100, and 1000.
  • Match each power to its number of zeros.
  • Write powers in standard form first.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Extend to negative powers and small decimals.
  • Connect powers of ten to the metric system.
  • Introduce scientific notation.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🔟Powers-of-ten chart
  • 💻Explore Powers of Ten
  • 📏Place-value chart
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

power of tenthe number 10 multiplied by itself one or more times, like 100 or 1000exponenta small number that tells how many times to multiply the base by itselfbasethe number being multiplied; in a power of ten, the base is 10factora number multiplied with another to make a productproductthe result of multiplying numbersplace valuethe value a digit has because of its place in a numberdecimal pointthe dot that separates whole numbers from parts of a wholestandard forma number written out with digits, like 1000
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does the exponent in a power of ten tell you?
How many times to multiply 10 by itself, which is also how many zeros follow the 1.
QUESTION 2
How many zeros does 10 to the 5th power have, and what is the number?
Five zeros; it is 100,000.
QUESTION 3
Which way does the decimal point move when you divide a number by 100?
Two places to the left.

Create: a decimal shift.

Have students pick a decimal, multiply it by 10, 100, and 1000, and record how far the decimal point moves each time, so the pattern becomes something they can see. A printable powers-of-ten worksheet is in the Mathematics library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Powers of TenFlip
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Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Powers of TenQuiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Powers of TenPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: base, decimal point, exponent, factor, place value, power of ten, product, standard form
  1. a number multiplied with another to make a product
  2. the result of multiplying numbers
  3. the dot that separates whole numbers from parts of a whole
  4. a number written out with digits, like 1000
  5. the number being multiplied; in a power of ten, the base is 10
  6. the value a digit has because of its place in a number
  7. the number 10 multiplied by itself one or more times, like 100 or 1000
  8. a small number that tells how many times to multiply the base by itself

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does the exponent in a power of ten tell you?
  2. How many zeros does 10 to the 5th power have, and what is the number?
  3. Which way does the decimal point move when you divide a number by 100?
Answer key — Part A: 1) factor · 2) product · 3) decimal point · 4) standard form · 5) base · 6) place value · 7) power of ten · 8) exponent
Part B: 1) How many times to multiply 10 by itself, which is also how many zeros follow the 1. 2) Five zeros; it is 100,000. 3) Two places to the left.