Here are two scores from a busy day of GAA matches: 366 and 372. Which score is bigger? Hands up if you think you can spot it.
Now the tricky part: which column of digits told you the answer?
Write each pair of numbers side by side on the board. Compare them column by column, always starting with the hundreds. Notice how far along you have to look before you can tell which is bigger.
Today we work through these pairs together, and for each one we sort which is bigger: 145 and 154, then 402 and 420, then 730 and 703, then 500 and 89. Each pair asks a slightly different question, so we say out loud which column finally breaks the tie before we sort them.
In your maths copy, write each pair from the lesson with the correct < or > sign between them, and underline the first column where the two numbers differ.
Remember: the wide open end of the sign always faces the bigger number.
Today we work through these pairs together, in order: 412 and 421, then 605 and 650, then 700 and 699, then 308 and 380. Each one hides its deciding column in a different place, so before we sort each pair we predict which column finally breaks the tie.
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