MAFS.2.NBT.1.4Archived Standard

Compare two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.
General Information
Subject Area: Mathematics
Grade: 2
Domain-Subdomain: Number and Operations in Base Ten
Cluster: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
Cluster: Understand place value. (Major Cluster) -

Clusters should not be sorted from Major to Supporting and then taught in that order. To do so would strip the coherence of the mathematical ideas and miss the opportunity to enhance the major work of the grade with the supporting clusters.

Date Adopted or Revised: 02/14
Date of Last Rating: 02/14
Status: State Board Approved - Archived

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
5012040: Mathematics - Grade Two (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
7712030: Access Mathematics Grade 2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5020090: STEM Lab Grade 2 (Specifically in versions: 2016 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))
5012005: Foundational Skills in Mathematics K-2 (Specifically in versions: 2019 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Formative Assessments

Using Digits:

Students randomly pull five cards from a set of digit cards and use them to make the greatest and least three-digit numbers possible. They are also asked to use the greater than or less than symbols to compare the two numbers.

Type: Formative Assessment

Who Has More?:

Students are asked to compare two numbers used in a word problem and to write an inequality statement showing the relationship between the numbers.

Type: Formative Assessment

Inequalities Using Symbols:

Students are asked to compare numbers and then use the greater than, less than, or equal to symbols to complete inequality statements.

Type: Formative Assessment

Missing Digits:

Students are asked to compare numbers with missing digits and explain their reasoning.

Type: Formative Assessment

Lesson Plans

Chomping Skittles:

This is an engaging lesson in comparing two three-digit numbers using the symbols <,>, and =. Students will be using Skittles and pretend their hand is a crocodile mouth.

Type: Lesson Plan

Pop, Pop, Pop!:

Students will research the effects of sugary drinks on their health.  They will interpret data on a variety of beverages presented in the form of bar graphs and decide which beverages should be included in school vending machines to ensure students have healthy drink options.

Type: Lesson Plan

Less Than, Equal to, or Greater Than?:

In this lesson, students move from comparing three-digit numbers built with base ten blocks to comparing three-digit numbers based on their place value. Students will use the greater than, less than, or equal sign to compare their values.

Type: Lesson Plan

Carnival:

Written at a second grade level, in this MEA the students will use problem solving skills, two-digit addition, and knowledge of greater than and less than to rank order carnival games based on provided criteria.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Crazy Crayons!:

In teams, students will make a decision on how to select the best crayons for a school supply store based on various crayon characteristics such as cost, transfer to paper, vibrancy of color, color residue, and breakage.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Restaurant Rankings: Which meal would you want to add to your cafeteria menu?:

The students have been selected by the cafeteria manager to help rank healthy meal options that have been proposed to be added to the school cafeteria. The students will use information about the food and drink included in the meal, total calories, sodium content, calories from saturated fat, and calories from sugar to come up with a procedure for ranking the meal options. Then students will have to use or adapt their original procedures to include two more meal options in the rankings.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Chocolate Delight:

Although, chocolate sales in America have continued to grow, due to the increased awareness of childhood obesity, there is major concern about the nutritional value of chocolate candy bars. Chocolate Delight, a chocolate bar company, wants to improve its sales to elementary students by creating a healthy chocolate bar. They have tested 5 new recipes and need to determine which candy bar is best for children. The students will rank the recipes from best to worst based on the following criteria: healthiness, taste, and nut allergies and make a recommendation of the healthiest recipe to Chocolate Delight.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

Symbol Spin:

This lesson puts a spin on comparing three-digit numbers! The students will work cooperatively to compare two three-digit numbers based on the hundreds, tens, and ones place values. The students are encouraged to verbally explain their logic during the game. This is a lesson that will engage your students and can last all week long!

Type: Lesson Plan

Less Could Be More!:

This lesson helps teachers introduce the concept of comparing two numbers up to 1,000 using the terms Greater than, Less than, Equal to, and the symbols >, <, =.

Type: Lesson Plan

How Can You Compare Two 3-Digit Numbers?:

Students will use base-ten blocks, drawings, or place value charts to compare two 3-digit numbers Students will use the <,>, = symbols correctly when comparing numbers.

Type: Lesson Plan

Comparing Two 3-Digit Numbers:

This whole-class lesson will reinforce the concept of comparing two 3-digit numbers as well as provide practice for students to become comparing experts. Students will use playing cards to practice their skills.

Type: Lesson Plan

Tornadoes: Which Months had the Most in 2009?:

Students will order the months of tornado activity in the United States from greatest to least for the Year 2009.

Type: Lesson Plan

Comparing Three-Digit Numbers:

The students use place value to compare two three-digit numbers and write the appropriate symbol >, =, <.

Type: Lesson Plan

Number Chompers:

In this lesson, students will compare whole numbers up to 1,000, use the appropriate symbol, and read the comparison correctly.

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorial

Tale of the Tallest Skyscraper:

Learn how to compare three-digit numbers using place value models, number lines and place value charts in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Problem-Solving Tasks

Comparisons 2:

The purpose of this task if for students to gain a better understanding of <,=,> with the help of number sentences.

</,=,>

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Digits 2-5-7:

Students who are struggling to build an understanding of the relationship between digit placement and the value of the number may still need concrete manipulatives such as grid paper and Base Ten Blocks. As a classroom extension, after students have worked independently or in small groups to solve the problem, the teacher can ask students to share their numbers, until all six possibilities are listed. Then, independently or as a whole group, students can order the six numbers from smallest to largest (or largest to smallest).

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Ordering 3-digit numbers:

The purpose of this task is for students to gain a better understanding of 3-digit numbers and their place value.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Comparisons 1:

This task requires students to compare numbers that are identified by word names and not just digits. The order of the numbers described in words are intentionally placed in a different order than their base-ten counterparts so that students need to think carefully about the value of the numbers. Some students might need to write the equivalent numeral as an intermediate step to solving the problem.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Virtual Manipulative

Number Sense-Place Value:

Hacker has given you a challenge. He will run his number machine to create a number. Then you will get three numbers between one and nine. The challenge is to make a number that is larger than the one on Hacker's machine. Be careful though--Hacker will give you numbers that can't be bigger than his!

Type: Virtual Manipulative

STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity

Carnival:

Written at a second grade level, in this MEA the students will use problem solving skills, two-digit addition, and knowledge of greater than and less than to rank order carnival games based on provided criteria.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Chocolate Delight:

Although, chocolate sales in America have continued to grow, due to the increased awareness of childhood obesity, there is major concern about the nutritional value of chocolate candy bars. Chocolate Delight, a chocolate bar company, wants to improve its sales to elementary students by creating a healthy chocolate bar. They have tested 5 new recipes and need to determine which candy bar is best for children. The students will rank the recipes from best to worst based on the following criteria: healthiness, taste, and nut allergies and make a recommendation of the healthiest recipe to Chocolate Delight.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Crazy Crayons!:

In teams, students will make a decision on how to select the best crayons for a school supply store based on various crayon characteristics such as cost, transfer to paper, vibrancy of color, color residue, and breakage.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Pop, Pop, Pop!:

Students will research the effects of sugary drinks on their health.  They will interpret data on a variety of beverages presented in the form of bar graphs and decide which beverages should be included in school vending machines to ensure students have healthy drink options.

Restaurant Rankings: Which meal would you want to add to your cafeteria menu?:

The students have been selected by the cafeteria manager to help rank healthy meal options that have been proposed to be added to the school cafeteria. The students will use information about the food and drink included in the meal, total calories, sodium content, calories from saturated fat, and calories from sugar to come up with a procedure for ranking the meal options. Then students will have to use or adapt their original procedures to include two more meal options in the rankings.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

MFAS Formative Assessments

Inequalities Using Symbols:

Students are asked to compare numbers and then use the greater than, less than, or equal to symbols to complete inequality statements.

Missing Digits:

Students are asked to compare numbers with missing digits and explain their reasoning.

Using Digits:

Students randomly pull five cards from a set of digit cards and use them to make the greatest and least three-digit numbers possible. They are also asked to use the greater than or less than symbols to compare the two numbers.

Who Has More?:

Students are asked to compare two numbers used in a word problem and to write an inequality statement showing the relationship between the numbers.

Original Student Tutorials Mathematics - Grades K-5

Tale of the Tallest Skyscraper:

Learn how to compare three-digit numbers using place value models, number lines and place value charts in this interactive tutorial.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorial

Tale of the Tallest Skyscraper:

Learn how to compare three-digit numbers using place value models, number lines and place value charts in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Problem-Solving Tasks

Comparisons 2:

The purpose of this task if for students to gain a better understanding of <,=,> with the help of number sentences.

</,=,>

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Digits 2-5-7:

Students who are struggling to build an understanding of the relationship between digit placement and the value of the number may still need concrete manipulatives such as grid paper and Base Ten Blocks. As a classroom extension, after students have worked independently or in small groups to solve the problem, the teacher can ask students to share their numbers, until all six possibilities are listed. Then, independently or as a whole group, students can order the six numbers from smallest to largest (or largest to smallest).

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Ordering 3-digit numbers:

The purpose of this task is for students to gain a better understanding of 3-digit numbers and their place value.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Comparisons 1:

This task requires students to compare numbers that are identified by word names and not just digits. The order of the numbers described in words are intentionally placed in a different order than their base-ten counterparts so that students need to think carefully about the value of the numbers. Some students might need to write the equivalent numeral as an intermediate step to solving the problem.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Virtual Manipulative

Number Sense-Place Value:

Hacker has given you a challenge. He will run his number machine to create a number. Then you will get three numbers between one and nine. The challenge is to make a number that is larger than the one on Hacker's machine. Be careful though--Hacker will give you numbers that can't be bigger than his!

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Problem-Solving Tasks

Comparisons 2:

The purpose of this task if for students to gain a better understanding of <,=,> with the help of number sentences.

</,=,>

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Digits 2-5-7:

Students who are struggling to build an understanding of the relationship between digit placement and the value of the number may still need concrete manipulatives such as grid paper and Base Ten Blocks. As a classroom extension, after students have worked independently or in small groups to solve the problem, the teacher can ask students to share their numbers, until all six possibilities are listed. Then, independently or as a whole group, students can order the six numbers from smallest to largest (or largest to smallest).

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Ordering 3-digit numbers:

The purpose of this task is for students to gain a better understanding of 3-digit numbers and their place value.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Comparisons 1:

This task requires students to compare numbers that are identified by word names and not just digits. The order of the numbers described in words are intentionally placed in a different order than their base-ten counterparts so that students need to think carefully about the value of the numbers. Some students might need to write the equivalent numeral as an intermediate step to solving the problem.

Type: Problem-Solving Task