Everyday Mathematics Grade 5, Unit 2: Whole Number Place Value and Operations
In this unit, your child takes a closer look at place value: each place in a number is worth ten times the place to its right. They use powers of 10 and exponents to multiply and divide quickly, then put that place-value sense to work multiplying larger whole numbers. After the volume work that came before, this sets up the fraction unit that follows.
By Robert “Bobby” BarnettMath teacher, parent, and founder of Bobby’s Math Club
What is my child learning in Unit 2?
- Explaining that a digit is worth ten times as much one place to the left, like the 4 in 4,000 compared with 400. Learn more: What each digit is worth, including decimals
- Using powers of 10, written with exponents like 10³, to multiply and divide whole numbers by 10, 100, and 1,000. Learn more: Multiplying and dividing by 10, 100, and 1,000
- Multiplying multi-digit whole numbers, like 213 × 32, with the usual written method, lining up each partial product by place value. Learn more: Multiplying big numbers, like 213 × 32
Sample questions to try together
These are real questions from our practice. Tap the speaker to hear one read aloud, or the light bulb for a hint, and talk about the answer together.
Question 1 of 3
How many hundredths are in 1 tenth?
- 10
- 1/10
- 100
How you can help
- Read large numbers aloud from a menu board, a road sign, or a news story. Ask what one digit is worth, then what the same digit would be worth one place to the left.
- Play a quick game on a walk or ride: say a number, like 36, and have your child multiply it by 10, 100, and 1,000 out loud, then divide back.
- Work out a real total together, like the cost of 24 tickets at $15 each or the eggs in 12 cartons of 18. Multiply on paper, then check whether the answer seems sensible.
Where kids can get stuck
- Forgetting the placeholder zero in the second row, so 213 × 32 comes out as 1,065 instead of 6,816.
- Reading 10³ as 10 × 3, which is 30, instead of 10 × 10 × 10, which is 1,000.
- Miscounting zeros, so 50 × 100 gets written as 500 instead of 5,000, because 50 already ends in a zero.
Practice makes perfect
Bobby's Math Club has practice problems that adapt to your child’s level, each with a detailed explanation and an easy-to-follow video, so your child can build confidence in these skills one step at a time.
Words your child will hear
- place value
- The value a digit has because of its place in a number.
- digit
- One of the symbols 0 through 9 used to write numbers.
- value
- How much a digit is worth in its place, like the 4 in 0.4 is four tenths.
- power of 10
- A number like 10, 100 (10 × 10), or 1,000 (10 × 10 × 10), made only of 10s multiplied together.
- exponent
- A small raised number that tells how many 10s to multiply together, as in 10³ = 10 × 10 × 10.
- product
- The answer to a multiplication problem.
- factor
- A number that is multiplied by another number.
- partial product
- Part of a multiplication answer, found by multiplying one place at a time.
- algorithm
- A step-by-step method for solving a problem, like the usual way to multiply on paper.
Want to help your child master place value and multiplication?
In Bobby's Math Club, your child practices these skills at just the right level, with a hint when they need one, a clear explanation after every question, and kid-friendly videos. Unlimited practice is free.
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Written by Robert “Bobby” Barnett
Bobby is an award-winning math teacher, the author of Meet Every Learner’s Needs, and the father of two elementary-school math learners. He uses Bobby’s Math Club with his own kids a few times every week. Learn more or contact Bobby.
Which math standards does Everyday Mathematics Grade 5 Unit 2 cover?
Everyday Mathematics Grade 5 Unit 2 covers these math standards. Each one links to what it means, sample questions, and teaching strategies.
For teachers: Unit names and order vary between editions and districts, so your school’s own materials have the exact sequence. Learn how Bobby's Math Club can help your students grow.