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 CONTENTS
Contents ............................................................................................. 3
Foreword ............................................................................................ 4
What are Base Ten Blocks?................................................................ 5
Base Ten Blocks ................................................................................. 6
A Guide to Using Base Ten Blocks in the Classroom ........................ 7
Challenging the Step-by-Step Approach ........................................... 8
Towards Mathematical Abstraction .................................................... 9
Before Base Ten 10–21
Before Introducing Base Ten Blocks ................................................ 12
99 and Over ...................................................................................... 13
Trading Board (Tens and Ones) ........................................................ 14
Progress Chart ................................................................................. 15
Count Down ................................................................................16–17
Expanding the Number Experience.................................................. 18
Mix and Match.............................................................................19–21
Trading Games 22–41
Discovering Base Ten Blocks ........................................................... 24
Base Ten Trading Board—1.............................................................. 25
Trading Games in Tens Land .......................................................26–27
Base Ten Trading Board—2.............................................................. 28
Trading to 100 .............................................................................29–30
Breaking a Flat ................................................................................. 31
Base Ten Challenges ........................................................................ 32
Longs and Minis ............................................................................... 33
Match and Collect Cards ................................................................. 34
Make My Number ........................................................................35–36
Mix and Match—Base Ten ..........................................................37–38
Renaming Numbers.....................................................................39–40
Hundreds and Thousands ................................................................ 41
Developing Computational Skills 42–79
Double and Split ..........................................................................44–46
Place Value—1 ................................................................................. 47
Place Value—2 ................................................................................. 48
Arrow Math ..................................................................................49–50
Decimal Fractions............................................................................. 51
Base Ten Decimal Fraction Trading Board—1.................................. 52
Trading with Decimal Fractions ........................................................ 53
Base Ten Decimal Fraction Trading Board—2.................................. 54
Decitrade .......................................................................................... 55
Addition .......................................................................................56–57
Addition without Regrouping............................................................ 58
Operations Board ............................................................................. 59
Addition with Regrouping ................................................................. 60
Spinner ............................................................................................. 61
Subtraction ..................................................................................62–63
Subtraction without Decomposition ................................................. 64
Subtraction with Decomposition ...................................................... 65
Subtraction Numerals....................................................................... 66
Multiplication—1 .............................................................................. 67
Multiplication—2 .........................................................................68–69
Base Ten Blocks ............................................................................... 70
Sharing Time .................................................................................... 71
Division ........................................................................................72–73
Checking Your Work ......................................................................... 74
The Block Game ............................................................................... 75
Percent ........................................................................................76–78
Adding Tenths and Hundredths........................................................ 79
Measuring with Base Ten Blocks 80–87
Comparing Lengths .....................................................................82–83
Make a Meter ................................................................................... 84
Make a Square Meter ....................................................................... 85
One in a Million ................................................................................. 86
All Wrapped Up .............................................................. 87

Correlation to Key Standards ......................................... 88

Glossary ......................................................................... 92
3
 Foreword
For many decades, educators have recommended the
use of manipulative materials to assist young children in
their learning of mathematics. The advocacy of educators
such as Maria Montessori, Zoltan Dienes and Catherine Stern
encourages a wide acceptance of the use of manipulative
materials, especially in elementary school classrooms. Once,
it was felt that simply giving students manipulatives to use in
mathematics lessons would be enough to develop an understanding
of mathematical concepts. This is not true. Manipulatives in and of
themselves do not teach—skilled teachers do.
How will I know whether the students are learning anything?
This series—Developing Mathematics—is designed to help
Observe the students as they work with the manipulatives. Don’t worry
teachers who are trying to make the most of students’ experiences
if they solve a problem in a way different from what you expected.
with manipulatives. It is better to use a few well-chosen manipulative
Ask questions. Encourage students to explain their thoughts or write
materials rather than an array of bits and pieces so students will have
about their experience.
an adequate supply of pieces. We recommend a lot of a little rather than
a little of a lot when it comes to working with manipulatives. Nothing is
What evidence can I show that students are learning?
more frustrating than not having enough to finish creating a design or
building that masterpiece. It is also important that sufficient materials are Some teachers are concerned about the lack of written evidence
available to allow models to be left on display in the classroom. to substantiate learning when manipulatives form a large part
of the lesson. There are several ways a student might record
Why use manipulatives? his/her findings:
When used as part of a well thought-out lesson, manipulatives can help • writing about the experience,
students understand difficult concepts. The key to good use of manipulatives • sketching or drawing any models produced,
is for teachers to have a clear goal in mind. This will help maintain the intention • photographing any models produced,
of the lesson and focus responses to any questions asked during the lesson. • presenting to students in other classrooms and
Teachers will have a clear idea of what to look for when observing students using • maintaining a learning journey log book.
manipulatives. Actually, when preparing this type of learning evidence,
We have observed how students experiment with ideas willingly. If satisfaction students have a wonderful opportunity to reinforce their
with an idea is not achieved, students will seek another solution. We do not see this own learning.
happening as frequently when students are expected to work with abstract statements
such as equations and written problems. How do I manage the use of manipulatives?

The skilled use of manipulatives will enhance mathematics outcomes. Poor use many be Some teachers worry that students will only play with
detrimental to student attainment. This series of books is designed to ensure skilled use the manipulatives and not pay attention, or worse
of manipulatives in the classroom. still, begin to throw the material around. These are
genuine fears which will decrease as experience,
Is there a difference between a mathematics manipulative and a mathematics both by the students and teacher, increases.
teaching aid? The first time you introduce a manipulative,
We believe there is a big difference between the two types of materials. allow time for the students to explore it. Set
A child can interact with and even take control of a good mathematical manipulative; whereas some simple rules and limits for the way the
a teaching aid tends to control the learning experience. Too often, a teaching aid is used as a material is used and enforce these early
telling support rather than a learning support and experience has taught us that “telling” is not on. Students will soon learn to respect the
a very successful method of teaching mathematical ideas. material. Throughout this book, we present
management ideas. We encourage you to
4 adopt them as your own.

These ideas are not new—
The origins of Base Ten blocks
The first reference we could discover to the idea of Base Ten blocks
was in Fish’s Arithmetic Number Two. Oral and Written Upon the
Inductive Method (1883). An American, Daniel W Fish, lived from
1822 to 1899.
Dr. Maria Montessori (1870–1952), the famous Italian educator,
implicitly believed in the use of manipulative materials to benefit
the learning process. She introduced the decimal system
by the use of specially designed beads. One bead, a unit,
represented the quantity one; ten beads, threaded together
on a wire are referred to as one ten. Ten tens wired together
into a square are named one hundred. The one hundreds
are wired together into a cube to make one thousand. The
beads allowed the student to see and feel quantities from
one to a thousand and to understand for the first time,
on a basic level, the concept of squaring and cubing of
numbers. Montessori is not only synonymous with the
use of manipulative materials but also with the concept
of individualized learning.
the many suggestions emanating from the students.
In order to fully appreciate the potential of Base
Ten blocks, we need to investigate the extensive
development of mathematical ideas embodied in the
material. Base Ten blocks are not counting materials;
they are not demonstrating materials; and certainly they
are not materials that have been designed just to teach
algorithms. Rather, the blocks are a set of apparatus
designed to foster the acquisition of fundamental
mathematical concepts. Base Ten blocks are part of
a much larger body of materials and active and varied
experiences with those materials will eventually lead to an
abstract understanding of the key ideas of place value and
the processes of addition and multiplication, subtraction
and division.
Originally, the materials were intended to provide a platform
where students could discover and flexibly construct their
own mathematical understanding. This did not imply that the
teacher should withdraw from the learning process. Rather,
it was expected the teacher become involved in the learning
process by making sure the activities were developmentally
appropriate. Rather than “tell,” the teacher would become a
leader—a leader of learning. And, rather than expect uniform
responses from the students, the teacher would react/respond to

What are
In the 1920s, the Hills constructor kit was
manufactured. Modeled on Base 10, the wood
was wrapped with red and white checkered
paper, representing the components in each
piece.
In the 1950s, Dr. Zoltan P. Dienes developed
the Multibase Arithmetic Blocks (MAB) and
subsequently the materials were widely
introduced to elementary schools in
Britain, Australia and the United States.
Sets of MAB were available in bases 2
to 10, allowing the students to develop
the same ideas in the base system of
any number.
In base ten, the first four powers were
represented:
thinking students.
103 102 101 100
Base Ten Blocks?
A word of caution
Indiscriminate and perfunctory use of Base Ten blocks can prove harmful
to the natural development of constructive mathematical thinking in young
children. Using Base Ten blocks too early in their school career means students
have little chance to build their “construct” of the number system.
While a student can count to 10, there is absolutely no guarantee that student
knows “ten-ness.” And very few will have any idea of the relationship between 1
and 10, let alone 10 and 100, and 1 and 100!
The concept of place value is full of complex concepts about the parts of the
number system. Base Ten blocks can provide an opportunity for students to
develop those concepts, but it was never envisioned the students would begin with
Base Ten material from the very start; rather, students should come to these ideas
via the use of various bases.
Provide as many experiences as possible to encourage concept development.
Without mentioning place value or any of the four operations, play trading games in
various bases. Creative use of Base Ten blocks will help form powerful and creatively

It is important to recognize that

these ideas are built on a notion of
magnitude—size.

5
 Base Ten Blocks
Naming the blocks
mini
This is difficult and may be a very contentious area. But, whatever the
decision made in your school, the terminology must remain consistent
long throughout the student’s experience with the blocks. We recommend
the following names for a set of blocks containing materials where the
largest piece is 103. No matter which base material you are handling, this
flat nomenclature will always be appropriate. Throughout this book we will use
the following names for the blocks: mini, long, flat and cube. These terms are
descriptive. We have avoided the use of words like “unit” because they have
mathematical connotations which as the students create their own ideas
could cause confusion.
cube
Other naming suggestions
mini — 100, short, small cube, small block
long – 101, stick, rod, bar
flat – 102, square
cube – 103, large block

With Base Ten mathematical material, students will know that:

10 minis = 1 long
10 longs = 1 flat
10 flats = 1 cube.
We prefer not to refer to the pieces by specific number names (for instance, flat
as 100) as it can limit the usefulness of the blocks. We would rather emphasize
the relationship between the blocks. For example, the flat is ten times a long,
which in turn is ten times a mini. If the mini is defined as 1 then the long
represents 10 and the flat 100. If however, the long is defined as 1, then the
flat is 10 and the mini is 1/10. It is the relationship between the pieces that is
important.

Different types of Base Ten materials

Standard Base Ten Hollow blocks
The most common Base Ten material in In order to conserve timber and transportation
schools will be made of wood, but other costs, some sets of Base Ten are produced
materials such as plastic and foam are with hollow blocks. When handling these
available from educational suppliers. pieces, the students know they are hollow
and the idea of the block representing 103 (or
Note: Originally Base Ten was designed
1000) is challengeable. It encourages students
using imperial measurements—one inch.
to count the sides (100 + 100, etc.) because
With the introduction of the metric system
they know there is nothing in the cube.
in many countries, Base Ten materials were
produced with the metric measurement—one Weight related
centimeter. Consequently, the imperial long is
Although not common, some sets of Base
not the same length as the metric long! This
Ten blocks are weight related. This interesting
difference is not noticeable in the mini, but is
feature may be used to build weight-related
very obvious when the longs, flats and blocks
concepts.
are compared. In older schools, we suggest
that the materials are very carefully sorted so Interlocking Base Ten
that all the materials in a set are compatible.
Made of colored plastic, the pieces in these
While this difference is very noticeable,
sets interlock. Our experience has been
another factor linked with accuracy needs
that the students are more concerned with
to be considered with wooden Base Ten
interlocking the pieces than allowing ideas to
material. Atmospheric conditions can affect
develop. They may be useful to help show the
the dimensions of the materials, because
relationship between the pieces.
wood expands with moisture.
6
On their own, Base Ten blocks
will not teach very much at all.
In fact, they are no more than
a catalyst—a supporter in the
learning operation. It was Maria
Montessori who said the hand is
the chief teacher of the student.
We will take that a little further
to say that it is the senses which
provide the data on which the
student will learn. A teacher
helps facilitate that learning.
Small-group kit
Because we do not advise the
materials be used with all the
members of the class at the
same time, we recommend
there be sufficient material
to equip a Learning Station
permanently to cater for 4 to 6
students.
The minis, longs and flats may
be stored in hinged-lid lunch
box-sized plastic containers.
Most activities only require the
use of minis, longs and flats,
so we suggest smaller kits for
groups of 2 to 4 students.
A Guide to Using Base Ten
Blocks in the Classroom
Sufficient quantities
A “basic” class kit of Base Ten blocks
contains:
600 minis
200 longs
20 flats
3 cubes
To cater for larger groups of students, adequate supplies can be borrowed from other
classes in the school. We recommend that a set of materials remain in a classroom
for a period of three weeks: our motto is three weeks on, six weeks off. This system
will allow sufficient quantities of the material to be acquired. Don’t worry about the “six
weeks off,” our experience has convinced us that the student’s brain carries out a great
deal of assimilation during that time. When the blocks return, the students are raring to
go once again. The break from the material is most beneficial.
Using materials
efficiently in a school
Some schools have several
classes of the same grade.
By circulating materials on an
organized basis, we need realistic
amounts of materials—say, Unifix®
Cubes, Pattern Blocks and Base
Ten blocks—enough in each
collection for use in a classroom,
stored in appropriate containers
Individual kits
and accompanied by teacher Some schools create an individualized kit
resource ideas. At the end of of materials, in an appropriate hinged-lid
each three-week session, the container with 2–3 flats, 15 longs and
tubs are circulated to the other 20+ minis. We have seen a trading board
classrooms. and a ten-sided die included in this
personal kit, which is frequently used to
take home to “teach” the parents.
You can purchase individual components
of Base Ten blocks if making up small
kits. Often, you do not need the large
block.
Keep the containers and
blocks clean
Washing in warm soapy water once or
twice a year will keep the blocks looking
new. Rinse the container in disinfectant
and leave a light cloth with a sprinkling of
disinfectant in the bottom of the tub.
7
 T he mathematical world of a
child does not develop in a
straight line or a predictable,
sequential manner. In fact, it can
be said the whole procedure is
pretty messy. Ideas shoot into the
brain from all directions in no real
coherent order. It is the function
of the brain to find an order which
suits the child at that time.
Here seems a paradox. As
educators, we know that for most
learning to take place, certain stages
of development need to have been
reached. It seems that development is
independent of our learning ideas. Some
would say there is no point in attempting
a certain piece of learning unless the learner
has reached a certain stage of development.
Others would suggest that providing learning
experiences before the child is ready could cause
long-term damage to the child’s capability and
willingness to learn.

Challenging
the Step-by-Step Approach
As a teacher there will be times when you will
find the ideas you teach are only half understood
and you become frustrated and perhaps even
say things like, “That child is not learning.”
Maybe that child is not ready to learn what you
want him/her to learn! Suddenly, after sharing
some other activities and, often, on some
other day, that child will demonstrate the “aha!”
factor—“I understand.” Why should a young
child’s experience be any different from yours?
You get “ahas” any time and in any place.
When preparing a text such as this, ideas can
be presented in a carefully laid out plan. But this
does not mean that the student learns these
things in that order and it definitely does not
mean that you have to present the ideas in the
order offered here.
All these ideas have been well tried with children
and their introduction to the young learners can
be just another part of their real-life experiences.
Give the students a chance to create a whole
picture of mathematics, rather than force isolated
sections on them.

8
 Towards
Zoltan P. Dienes, the famous
mathematics educator/psychologist,
saw that children acquired
understanding gradually and only
after sufficient directed play had been
experienced. Today, this approach is
known as constructivism; that is that
a learner shapes his/her learning via
interaction with the environment. The
teacher has a vital role in shaping that
learning environment.
No matter what activity you present to
the students, they will experience the
stages of Discover and Talk. Students
need time to find out what it is all about.
For some, it may be a new experience
altogether. Consequently, more time
will be spent at the Discover and Talk
stages of development. In contrast,
some students may be well on the way
to formalizing a concept; hence they will
be engaged at the Explain and Symbol
stages.
We have observed students passing
through stages of mathematical
understanding and capability. We are
using an acronym for this—DTES—and
have applied it throughout this
collection of ideas on how to best use
Base Ten materials. Where possible, for
your guidance, we have indicated an
approximate developmental stage for
the activities.
Mathematical Abstraction
Discover Talk
A child experiences his/her environment: the child A child develops the spoken
sees, hears, feels, tastes, smells and handles. In language to describe and
fact, all learning begins at this point. The wider communicate that experience.
the experience, the richer will be the language The interaction with peers and
development. significant others, such as parents
A teacher does not need to direct this experiential and teachers, strengthens that
stage—there is no harm in suggesting ideas and, development.
if the students run with them, good! On the other
hand, this is a time when the teacher will be able
to observe the students, note their developmental
stages and talk to them about their ideas.
Do not rush this stage!
D T E S
Symbol Explain
Within the written symbol, there There are many ways in which
is a huge amount of knowledge children will explain their ideas—
(discover, talk and explain). perhaps in speech, pictures,
To make this symbol and to writing, or actions. But, whatever
comprehend other symbols is a the type of representation, the
very sophisticated achievement child recognizes the association
and must never be forced or “fast- with the original ideas.
forwarded.”

Using DTES as a guide

On various activities we will
use the DTES symbol to
provide a rough guide of
the developmental levels D T E S
involved in the activity.
Students have
developed many
conceptual
ideas. Now,
they are ready
to present them
D T E S formally.

Students will lead

the activity as they
discover various
ideas and suggest
conclusions.
9
 Before
Base
Ten

Ten
On

10
 The use of Base Ten blocks may be considered as
a developmental stage in a student’s understanding
of the number system. That 10 minis have been
joined to make a long and 10 longs have been
aligned to form a flat demonstrates a huge step in
a student’s understanding of the structure of the
number system.
Our teaching practice shows the Piagetian
constructivist model is appropriate, and before
Base Ten blocks are introduced to the students, we
assume extensive activity has taken place in order
to strengthen mathematical thinking. Among other
1 processes, Piaget identified:
2 Ñ sorting (and) classiÞcation
3 ÑÑ seriation
number construction.
In most early elementary school classrooms,
evidence of these developmental skills will be
obvious. But, for many reasons, students may be
forced through these steps too quickly. While most
curriculum advice recognizes the need for sound
and intensive developmental activity, perceived
pressures from society tend to encourage a too
hasty approach to these vital components of a
student’s understanding of number. Even though
some points as outlined by Piaget have been
challenged (see Children and Number, Martin
Hughes, 1987), his overall concept of the stages
of development has been generally recognized.
Rather than view Piaget’s ideas as a collection of
piecemeal insights, it is far better to view the theory
as a whole and recognize that the developmental
pathway towards knowledge travels the same
journey, even though that journey varies for every
participant.
Students in our class count one hundred
objects and decide the best way to count them.
Examples:
100 books were best counted by ones and stacked in groups of 5
paint brushes were bundled in groups of 20
small chalkboards were stacked alternately in collections of 10
100 students were made to line up in rows of 10 students
The results were photographed and displayed to other classes in
the school.
Sorting and classification
We suggest you refer to the early stages of our
companion volumes, Developing Mathematics with
Unifix® and Developing Mathematics with Pattern
Blocks for a varied range of sorting activities centred
around the creation of strong language skills.
Remember, the aim is to help create transferable
knowledge. Of course, a wide range of sorting activities
will be a feature of any early elementary classroom.
At this stage, please do not rush into counting
activities, especially with the digital abstractions 1, 2,
3, 4, etc. But, we do recommend a formal experience
with attribute blocks and matrix logic programs. Young
students will make graphic collections of objects to
show classes and subclasses; for example, vehicles
are sorted into cars, buses, trucks, vans and bicycles
on criteria they select. With practice, their ability to sort
and classify will be both natural and broad-ranging.
Seriation
These Russian dolls are ordered according to size. Some
students ordered the dolls according to “families”—father,
mother and two children. Interestingly, they discarded
dolls because they did not fit their pattern.
A collection of circular giftboxes is arranged according to
magnitude (size).
Following the ideas of Piaget, we say that the ability to
order objects in terms of a selected attribute is necessary
if a student is to understand the properties of numbers.
These sequential relationships permit a student to build
a logical picture, such as 2 is less than 3 and 4 is 1 more
than 3 and 1 less than 5, hence, 1 < 2 < 3, which, if
presented symbolically, is more abstract.
These skills bring real meaning to a student’s
construction of the number system. Rote counting does
not foster this understanding.
Basic understandings
Students’ earliest experiences with place value and the number
system involve materials that may be joined into groups and,
consequently, broken up; for example, craft sticks may be
bundled with an elastic band and that bundle may be broken
up into individual sticks.
Most sets of Base Ten blocks do not come apart and their use
needs to be delayed until the students have developed a basic
understanding of grouping and ungrouping. For example, 10
ones make 1 ten and 10 lots of ten make 100 (10 x 10 x 1).
This understanding is best developed by
counting objects, bundling and
unbundling a range of materials.
11
 D T E S
Before Introducing
Base Ten blocks
Purpose
To review counting skills.
Counting and ordering

It is important that students have efficient counting skills and have developed a sense of
quantity (magnitude). For example, when ordering a group of numbers, they know that a
two-digit number is greater than a single-digit number.
Recognizing
developmental needs
When Base Ten blocks were
first introduced to the teaching
community, they were called
Multibase Arithmetic Blocks
(MAB) as all bases from 2 to 10
were available.
Early numeracy development
was fostered with the use of
the blocks of base 3, 4 and 5.
Initially, base 2 was avoided
because the “processing” of
the materials required too
many movements and the
number patterns were not
easily recognized. The use of
the lower bases required less
numerical experience for the
students to understand the Finding 100s Counting by 2, 5 and 10
process. Remember, concepts
were being developed, not • Challenge the students to • Counting out loud, arrange groups of
the ability to operate a base find one hundred of the same blocks or counters to show counting by the
number system. item—books, pencils, sheets appropriate number.
of paper. As the collection is
The blocks are now only • Students can count along with a calculator
made, show how the items
available in Base Ten, hence by pressing + 1 = = = (or similar). Pressing
have been counted.
we refer to them as Base Ten + 2 = = = will set the calculator counting in
blocks. • Count the same collection of twos. A number grid may then be shaded
items on a grid and a number to show the progress of the counting and to
line. highlight patterns.

Dice Ordering numbers

Dot dice are ideal for
developing counting skills and
the ability to subitize.
• Arrange in order, largest to smallest (or vice versa).
• Using the same three digits each time, create numerals that are:
– the largest
– the smallest
– the nearest to a set number.
• Students throw two dice and collect that number of counters of the same color.
When 10 counters have been collected, they are exchanged for one counter of
another color. After five throws, check who has the largest total.

12
 99 and Over
Using other materials to reinforce ideas
Play this game over an extended period for a short time each day, until the students
become comfortable with exchanging. Then encourage students to record the progress of
the game. Students may do this in different ways; for example, they might draw pictures to
record or perhaps use symbols. A student may take ‘‘before and after” digital photographs,
showing the game board before throwing the die and after the craft sticks have been added
and any necessary bundling has taken place. Ask the students to give a description (verbal
or in writing) of what occurred.
For a blank recording sheet see page 15.
You will need:
Tens
Te ns es
Ones
On
• 6-sided dot die
• collection of
craft sticks
• elastic bands
• trading boards,
pg. 14
Method
In groups of two or three,
Tens Ones
students take turns to
roll a die and collect that
number of craft sticks.
These are placed on the
Ones side of the playing
board.
Rule: No more than nine craft sticks can be in the Ones column.
When a player ends
Tens Ones
up with more than nine
craft sticks in the Ones
column, he/she must
bundle ten craft sticks
using an elastic band.
The bundle of ten is
then placed in the Tens
column.
Play continues until one player reaches (or goes over) 99.
D T E S
Purpose
To encourage students to
build in tens.
To add single-digit numbers
to a cumulative total.
To develop an understanding
of addition.
Background
This activity is another form
of a trading game in Base
Ten. Invent other formats for
trading games; the variety will
strengthen students’ flexibility
with number.
Hint:
Before Base Ten
Buy the smallest
Prior to using Base Ten
size elastic bands
materials we suggest using
available. This saves
craft sticks and elastic bands.
having to wrap the
Bundling 10 ones to make 1
band around the ten is an important concept
bundle several times. to develop before introducing
It also reduces the Base Ten materials. Some
“pinging power” of students may not see a long as
the elastic band. being made up of ten minis.
Looking for the learning
When observing the students,
watch how they go about
exchanging 10 ones for 1 ten.
Note which students touch
Variations
and count the dots on the die
• Change from a dot and then match the number
die to a numeral of craft sticks to the number
of dots. Some students will
die. Any students
using one-to-one automatically pick up the
specific number of craft
correspondence to
pick up the correct sticks because they instantly
number of craft recognize the dot pattern on
sticks will have the die (subitize) or the number
to use a different shown on the numeral die.
strategy.
• Use two dice for a
quicker game. This
will also mean that
at times students
will automatically
have a bundle of ten
(when 10, 11, or 12
is rolled).
13
14
Trading Board
Tens Ones

Didax, Inc.®
 Progress Chart
Tens Ones Tens Ones

number number
rolled rolled

Tens Ones Tens Ones

number number
rolled rolled

Tens Ones Tens Ones

number number
rolled rolled

Tens Ones Tens Ones

number number
rolled rolled

15
 D T E S Count Down
Purpose
To develop students’
Purpose
understanding of the Developing subtraction
subtraction process; that is,
To review counting skills. You will need:
the decomposition or the Tens
ns es
Ones
On
Te
breaking up of bundles of • 6-sided dot die
ten to make 10 ones.
• elastic bands
• collection of craft sticks
• trading boards, pg. 14
Recording
(one each)
Always encourage students to
record the progress of a game.

• Draw pictures or write Method

words.
• Each player begins with 99 craft sticks on a trading board.
• Take “before and after”
digital photographs. • Players take turns to roll a die and remove that many craft sticks from their playing board.

• Complete the game
progress chart (opposite)
• Produce a recorded set of
instructions to present to a
new group of players.
Activities of this nature help
reinforce the concepts and
ideas, which are so important.
Avoid the temptation to
formalize the unbundling
process. This unbundling
is the key idea behind the
decomposition algorithm
for subtraction. The focus of
this activity is on gaining an
intuitive understanding of this
process. The symbols and
abstraction come later.
Looking for learning
Note how students exchange
1 ten for 10 ones (sticks). Do
they do this automatically?
Do they count individual craft
sticks or do they perform a
mental calculation then show
it with the materials? If they
perform a mental calculation,
they are ready to move on.
• The first player to remove all of his/her craft sticks (reach zero) is the winner.
Problem solving
At times, students will be faced with the problem of what
to do if they do not have enough individual craft sticks
that they can remove.
Example
Tens Ones 42 is showing on the
board and a 5 has
been thrown on the
die. The player is faced
with the problem that
5 ones cannot be
taken from the 2 ones
showing on the board.
A bundle of ten needs
Tens Ones
to be broken up into 10
ones. 5 ones may be
taken from the 12 ones
now.
At the end of the turn,
Tens Ones
everything is returned
to its balance, with no
more than 9 craft sticks
remaining in the Ones
column.
Extension
Combine “99 and Over”
and “Count Down.”
• Alternate between
composing (adding)
and decomposing
(subtracting)
• Start at an agreed
point, then add for three
throws and subtract for
one throw. The first to
reach an agreed target
wins.
• Students will invent
other variations; for
instance, using two
different colored dice,
one for adding and one
for subtracting.

16
Count Down Recording Sheet
Explain what has happened in this game of Count Down.

Tens Ones Tens Ones

Tens Ones Tens Ones

17
 D T E S Expanding The
Number Experience
Purpose
To show Purpose
that numbers can
be represented in different
To review counting skills.
ways and by different
materials.

Multiple embodiment
My colleague suggests “There
are many ways to skin a cat.”
Translated that means the
ideas (concepts) develop as
a result of input from many
sources. The two counters on the left
spike represent two of the 10
Z. P. Dienes may not be groups of 10 units.
credited with the coining of
the expression, but its roots Developing the ideas of the
lie heavily in the notion that
“each concept to be learned
fundamental arithmetical operations and place value
is ‘clothed’ in a number of The three-prong abacus is appropriate for use with Base Ten ideas.
different embodiments” and
• The units counter is placed on the right spike.
that every concept “should be
presented in as many different • The tenth counter is placed on the middle spike: this counter will represent 1 group of 10
ways as possible.” (Dienes beads. Depending on the position of the beads, its value will be recognized.
1967)
• On the left spike the counters will represent 2 groups of 10 groups of 10 units (200).
This statement is still true.

Other useful support materials

Concepts need to be presented in as many different ways as possible.

Slide abacus
The slide abacus is a convenient device for
showing number relationships.

Dice
We recommend the use of 0–9
(ten-faced) dice as students Bead frame
become familiar with all ten The bead frame is another good device for
digits of the number system— showing number relationships.
especially zero.

Johnstone number line

A very effective linear abacus, students develop
a wide range of skills while operating the sliding
beads.

Dice
Assorted dice provide a challenge and add variety
to number activities.

18
 Mix and Match D T E S

Purpose
To help students relate
materials, language and
symbols.
Relating materials, language and symbols

Simple games such as memory/concentration may be used to help students relate working
with informal materials such as craft sticks to language and symbols.
Background
You will need: It is important that students
learn to relate materials such
• 40 cards per group of players as craft sticks and Base Ten
(see photocopiable resource pgs. 20–21) blocks with number names
and symbols.
Method

Tens Ones

9 tens 0 ones
forty-five
90

• In groups of two or three players lay the cards randomly face down in a 4 by 10 or 5 by
8 array.
• Players take turns to flip two cards over. If there is a match, the player keeps the cards. If
not, the two cards are turned back over.
• The next player takes his/her turn.
• Play continues until all cards have been matched. The player with the most cards at the
end of the game is the winner.

19
 Mix and Match Cards
Tens Ones

23 2 tens 3 ones twenty-three

Tens Ones

37 3 tens 7 ones thirty-seven

Tens Ones

42 4 tens 2 ones forty-two

Tens Ones

45 4 tens 5 ones forty-five

Tens Ones

49 4 tens 9 ones forty-nine

20
Mix and Match Cards
Tens Ones

51 5 tens 1 ones fifty-one

Tens Ones

66 6 tens 6 ones sixty-six

Tens Ones

74 7 tens 4 ones seventy-four

Tens Ones

83 8 tens 3 ones eighty-three

Tens Ones

90 9 tens 0 ones ninety

21 21
22
 Why use trading games
One of the best reasons for using trading games is
that the students take control of their own learning:
Working with other bases assists in the they are not waiting to be told or trying to interpret
understanding of number and operations the teacher’s presentation. Students find the games
using number. Richard Skemp defended easy and enthralling because the rules are simple
and the rewards come rapidly. Played with a
the use of bases other than 10. He also
sense of fun and adventure, the students do not
recognized the significance of subitizing realize the depth of mathematical understanding
as students developed their numerical in which they are involved. In no time, it
understanding. seems, the students are demonstrating these
understandings in oral and written ways with
Base 10 involves the same concepts as confidence.
those used in bases 2, 4, 5 ... but 10 is too Students’ early trading game experiences
big to subitize. So manipulations which may be fostered in later elementary school
can be done perceptually for bases up to years. Materials like Base Ten blocks and
5 depend on counting when working with Pattern Blocks may be used.
base 10 (pg. 41).
Skemp, R. (1989). Structured Activities for Primary
Mathematics; How to Enjoy Real Mathematics. London.
Routledge.

Organizational tips to assist you

For the first few introductory sessions with a group of
students, organize whole-class exercises. Younger students
can sit in a circle on the floor so you can observe how they are
handling matters. Usually, older students do not need such
close supervision, but we prefer to know the majority of the
class has attained an in-principle level of understanding of the
games.
Copy and laminate sufficient boards for every student. One
teacher introduced the games on photocopied sheets. When
the students knew the games, they were invited to decorate
a “new” trading board before it was laminated. These boards
became personal property which the students could take
home to teach their parents how to trade.
Once familiar with the games, the students may break into
groups of three or four. For a series of games, one of the
students can be appointed “the banker.” All transactions
must be passed through the banker. Personal “bankbooks”
can be kept, but do not insist on formal presentation of the
transactions. In time, every student will have a turn at being
“the banker.”
Negotiate with the teacher of another class to have some of
your “banker-type” students teach the games to that class.
“Bankers” may wear a badge which entitles them to “bank”
(teach) for a week.
Once the games are well known, play them for ten minutes
before a break. Keep a progressive score. The student with
the largest total on Friday wins some sort of honor!

23
 D T E S Discovering Base Ten
Blocks
Purpose
To become familiar with Familiarity with the relationships between the blocks is essential
Base Ten blocks.
Allow the students to play.

Names for the blocks

mini

long

flat

cube
Students will build roads and Þelds to
fence in animals.

We do not recommend the

blocks be given numerical
names because this will
reduce the versatility of the
material. Focus on developing
relationships with the blocks; During this time, the students are absorbing the characteristics of the material. Your role is
for example, “The long is ten to foster the exploration and challenge the students about various features of the material,
times longer than the mini,” without expecting formal responses. For example:
“The flat is made up of ten
longs.”

Free play
Success is assured as students
are allowed to play with the
Base Ten blocks. They will
make roads and towers,
bridges and tunnels and, in
the process, subconsciously
develop strong mental
appreciations between the
various components of the set.
Twelve ßats nearly cover this
LetÕs measure this person!
sheet of paper.
Many ideas are circulating in a student’s mind during this vital stage, so extend the
illustrated ideas.
• How many flats cover that book? In your mind, guess how many books will cover that
sheet of paper.
• Cover that sheet of paper exactly. You may find you will need Base Ten blocks other than
flats.
• Measure that person exactly with longs and minis.
• Why can’t you use flats to measure properly the height of that person? Discuss.
Some students may provide excellent challenges; do not hesitate to seek ideas from them.

A special note:
Even though your sense of obligation may be saying otherwise, you know instinctively
that students need to play (and then play some more) with these materials until they are
absolutely at ease with them. As we say, play is the child’s university.

24
 Base Ten Trading Board – 1

25
Longs Minis
Didax, Inc.®
 D T E S Trading Games in
Purpose
Tens Land
To strengthen the
understanding of the
relationships between the
blocks, using the trading/ Trading with Base Ten blocks
exchanging process. Confirm the trading rules.

10 minis are equivalent to 1 long

10 longs are equivalent to 1 flat

To play these games, students need to be able to count efficiently and understand the
principles of trading. Introducing these trading games without the prerequisite skills will likely
create confusion.

How to play the trading games

You will need: Game 1

Longs Minis Longs Minis Longs Minis Longs Minis

Throw a die to collect When you throw again, if your total is more than 9 you
that number of minis. must trade. You can only have 9 minis in the minis column.

Continue until 9 longs are obtained.

Game 2
Before 10 longs has been “earned,” introduce a different colored die. This is thrown to
represent tax time. The number thrown represents the number of minis to be “paid” back;
for example:

• Base Ten blocks Longs Minis Longs Minis Longs Minis

• two different-colored
dot dice (10-sided dice
are recommended for
use at a later stage)
• Base Ten Trading
Board—1 (1 per
student) see pg. 25
• Base Ten Trading 5 minis to be paid back Trade 1 long for 10 minis Pay 5 minis, leaving 2
Board—2 (1 per longs and 7 minis
student) see pg. 28
Continue play, alternating between earning and paying-back.

26
Trading into the hundreds
This is a typical conversation as students immerse themselves in trading games.

Teacher: What happens when I have 9 longs and 10 minis?

Students: You will trade 10 for 1 of course!
Teacher: Yes I know, but I will have 10 longs.
Students: No, you wonÕt. You just trade them for a ßat.
Teacher: Oh, yes! 10 longs make a ßat. I suppose 10 ßats make a block.

Now it is appropriate to introduce the Base Ten Trading Board—2 (see pg. 28). As a
teacher, you will be amazed at how little direct teaching you will carry out.

Game 3
By using a 10-, 12- or 20-sided die, the game will move faster, keeping the interest of the students. Incidentally, by
throwing the 20-sided die, a minor trading game is taking place. A throw of 13 means a collection of 1 long and 3 minis.
Example of play

Flats Longs Minis Flats Longs Minis

Throw 13, add 1 long, 3 minis Add the next throw of 16; 1 long, 6 minis

Flats Longs Minis Flats Longs Minis

Add the next throw of 9. There are now 18 minis in the ones column so you have to trade.

Students will look ahead and realize the necessary procedures.

Variation Challenge
Later use two 0–9 dice, one die Interrupt the playing students by
represents tens, the other units; thus a announcing:
throw of:
“I’ve got great news for you.
Because of our success, you can
make your collections three times
larger.”
You may use also the expressions
“triple the collection,” “increase by
represents 56, collect either 56 minis or three times,” or “multiply your total
5 longs and 6 minis. by three.”
27
28
Base Ten Trading Board – 2
Flats Longs Minis

Note: Enlarge to 11 x 17.

Didax, Inc.®
 Trading to 100 D T E S

Purpose
Developing the trading process to three-digit numbers To learn to trade/exchange
10 ones for 1 ten; and 10
tens for 1 hundred.
You will need:
• a ten-sided 0–9 die
• A game board for each player (see pg. 30)
Background
The focus of this game is on
Method the exchanging or trading
process. In particular, students
This is a game for two to three players, each with his/her own game board. need to focus on exchanging
10 ones for 1 ten (10 minis
Players take turns rolling the die and picking up the appropriate number of minis. The
for 1 long), and 10 tens for 1
minis are then placed on the board. hundred (10 longs for 1 flat).

Once 10 minis have been collected, they must be exchanged for 1 long (1 ten).

Play continues until one player is able to exchange 10 longs for 1 flat (10 tens for 1
hundred).

29
30
Trading to 100 Board
 Breaking a Flat D T E S

Purpose
Students will learn to
Exchanging to subtract decompose/exchange
Base Ten blocks in order to
subtract.

You will need: Note:

This game is similar to the game
• a ten-sided (0–9) die
“Trading to 100” (pg. 29). The
• a game board (or place value mat) same game board may be used;
for each student alternatively, use the place value mat
on page 28.

Method
Players begin with a flat on their game board (or place value mat). Each player in turn rolls
the die and subtracts the number of minis from the total shown on the board.

Note:
The players will need to
exchange (trade) 1 flat for
10 longs and 1 long for
10 ones as part of their
initial move. After this,
exchanges will simply
involve exchanging 1 long
for 10 ones. The minis
or ones may then be
removed from the board.

Once students become competent at the exchanging process, encourage them to record
their moves. This will help later when more formal recording is developed.

31
 D T E S
Base Ten Challenges
Purpose
To gain experience with
Base Ten blocks, counting, As you introduce Base Ten blocks
seriating and comparing.

1 Count the minis

Observe how students count
the minis—in singles or
Developing the groups of 3, 4, or 5.
language
= mini
To an adult, many word
meanings appear to be
simple. Years of practice
have developed a firm neural
pathway which provides an
almost instant understanding.
For example, the idea of length
seems natural; however,
for a child, a wide range of 2 Counting challenges
experience needs to be filtered • Count the minis using longs to help
to arrive at an understanding you. Did you count, or measure the cubes
which is meaningful and beside a long?
communicable to others.
• Toss a pile of longs on the floor. How
Some keywords connected
k
many seconds did it ta e to count them?
with Base Ten blocks need
Using a ßat to help you, letÕs see if we can
to be discussed with the
count more quickly.
students. Seriation (the
concept of order in relation to
quantity) words provide rich
territory for their explorations
of meaning. Consider:
• make a shape twice the size 3 Ordering challenges
• twice the length
• Arrange the Base Ten blocks in order of
• twice the height or width size.
(discuss for an agreement)
• Arrange in order of size, smallest to largest,
Interestingly, we had no 1 cube, 12 flats, 4 longs and 6 minis.
trouble with the word “twice”
• Arrange in order, longest to smallest,
but the ideas of length,
0 cubes, 3 flats, 77 longs and 30 minis.
height and width caused
heated discussion among the (Encourage students to show proof that
eight-year-old students. It their counting is correct.)
was obvious that most of the
students had mastered the
common comparative word
sequences, such as: 4 Problem-solving challenges
• long, longer, longest Observe how students approach a
and problem-solving situation.

• short, shorter, shortest. • Prove that 60 longs will make more

than 5 flats.
• Fill a shoe box with the least possible
number of Base Ten blocks.

32
 Longs and Minis D T E S

Purpose
Relating Base Ten blocks to numerals
To help students relate
materials to symbols.
1 Scatter a handful of minis on the table.
• Count the minis the best way possible. Guide to using
• How can I use the longs to make counting easier? this photocopiable
Students will learn to exchange 10 minis for 1 long. resource
(see pg. 34) Confident familiarity is
essential
Match and Collect
Reproduce the Base Ten The success of using the
and numeral cards on material for more formal
2 • Show 16 minis with 7 blocks only. Explain why you Ärm cardstock and cut aspects of number is closely
did it this way. them out. ShufÅe the linked to the amount of time
cards. spent in familiarizing the
• Students may challenge each other to create various students with the blocks; not
collections of blocks and give the collection a value. Introduction simply playing with them, but
A collection of Base focusing on the relationship
Ten longs and minis is between the blocks and the
available. “ten-ness” of that relationship.
Put another way, the blocks are
The mini has a value of 1,
intended to be more than a set
3 Introduce a flat by asking, “How many longs will cover what is the value of the
of demonstration materials.
the flat exactly?” If the long is worth 10, what is the long?
value of the flat? (Some students may need to count;
10, 20, 30, etc. That’s okay.) – show me 7

So, how many minis would cover the flat exactly? – show me 17—explain
– I have 2 longs and
6 minis; what is
the value of this
collection?
4
– What is the least
(or most) number of
blocks needed to
show 32?
Base Ten magnetic
Play the Game
This game needs two
blocks
players. Each player Base Ten magnetic blocks may
takes Äve of either the be used for demonstration/
Base Ten or Numeral display purposes. For example,
cards. The remaining in Activity 4 they provide a
two cards are placed stable model for the students
face down. to consider.
Show this collection. How many minis in this collection? Players arrange their At no time will the magnetic
Why? cards and when a card blocks substitute for the blocks
Display a range of collections on a table. from the other stack is which the students may handle
displayed, a match can freely.
Students inspect the models and calculate the value of be made. Success: A
each. Do not insist on a written response, but students player keeps both cards.
will be able to produce correct answers. Mistake: Both cards are
Provide a variety of this type of activity. placed on a discard pile.
Player with the most
cards at the end of the
round scores points.
Play Äve or six rounds.
33
 Match and Collect Cards

17 33 44 56 38 40

45 63 20 42 55 66

34
 Make my Number D T E S

Purpose
Represent a number with Base Ten blocks To be able to represent
numbers with Base Ten
materials.
You will need:
2 3
40 0
• two 0–9 dice

• collection of
Base Ten material Background
• place value cards It is important to link materials
(see pg. 36) to number names and number
symbols. This activity focuses
on linking Base Ten materials
Method with associated number
names and symbols.
In groups of three or four, students take turns rolling two dice (one color represents tens,
the other ones); for example: The links between materials,
language and symbols is
depicted in the following
diagram.
=56
Students match the number made by the dice by collecting the least number of Base Ten materials
materials required and showing the number using the place value cards. Finally, the players
record the number name in words.

language symbols

Here, we highlight the link

between materials and
symbols.

5 6
0 fifty-six

Variation
Use three ten-sided dice of varying colors to make three-digit numbers.

1 5 06
0

one hundred fifty-six

35
 Place Value Cards
9 0 0 9 0 9
8 0 0 8 0 8
7 0 0 7 0 7
6 0 0 6 0 6
5 0 0 5 0 5
4 0 0 4 0 4
3 0 0 3 0 3
2 0 0 2 0 2
1 0 0 1 0 1
36
 Mix and Match
D T E S
– Base Ten
Purpose
Spiral curriculum To be able to represent
This task is the same as the previous mix and match activity using craft sticks numbers with Base Ten
(pg. 19-21). materials.
In this case, Base Ten blocks are used instead of craft sticks. This is an example of the
spiral curriculum, where students meet the same ideas at different levels.
We like to refer to this idea as the “mud principle”; in other words, if you run the students
through the mud enough times, some has to stick.

How to play
Follow the instructions on page 19 but use the cards below and on the next page instead.

Mix and Match—Base Ten Cards

Tens Ones

25 2 tens 5 ones twenty-five

Tens Ones

33 3 tens 3 ones thirty-three

Tens Ones

40 4 tens 0 ones forty

37
 Mix and Match—Base Ten Cards
Tens Ones

45 4 tens 5 ones forty-five

Tens Ones

52 5 tens 2 ones fifty-two

Tens Ones

54 5 tens 4 ones fifty-four

Tens Ones

69 6 tens 9 ones sixty-nine

Tens Ones

87 8 tens 7 ones eighty-seven

38
 Renaming Numbers D T E S

Purpose
Partitioning numbers in standard and non-standard ways Students will learn to
rename numbers in a variety
of ways.
1 Show students a two-digit number represented by Base Ten blocks; for example:

Tens Ones

Background
It is important that students
recognize alternative ways to
name/represent numbers. This
will help them gain a better
understanding of numbers—
which in turn will assist them
later when comparing numbers
3 6 and calculating.
2 Ask the students to show alternative representations; for example:

Tens Ones Tens Ones Tens Ones

Guide to
using this
photocopiable
resource
(see pg. 40)

Pick up a handful of
longs and minis and
OR OR place them in the
appropriate columns.
2 16 1 26 0 36 Then partition them in
different ways.
Set some other challenges.
Record on the
“Renaming Numbers”
3 Extend to three-digit numbers. board.
Hundreds Tens Ones
2 hundreds
1 ten
5 ones

1 hundred
11 tens
5 ones

39
40
Renaming Numbers Board
Hundreds Tens Ones

Note: Enlarge to 11 x 17.

Didax, Inc.®
 Hundreds and D T E S

Thousands
Purpose
To become familiar with all
Introducing the cube (1000) of the Base Ten blocks.

Distribute a cube to each student or pair of

students and ask them what they think it Background
might represent.
The Base Ten materials
include a cube to represent
1000. Some cubes are made
from solid blocks of wood,
whereas others are hollow.
Some students have viewed
Some students may suggest 600 the cube as representing 600
(see sidebar), whereas others will rather than 1000 because
suggest 1000. To decide who is they can only visualize six
correct, distribute collections of flats. faces of 100. Care needs to
be taken when introducing the
Encourage the students to build a
cube. Beyond 1000, the use
cube using flats. The students should
of materials such as Base Ten
note that it takes 10 layers of flats (10
blocks becomes cumbersome.
hundreds) to make a cube.
It is important that students
grasp the number system and
place value so they can use
symbols for five-digit numbers
and beyond.

Remember to link the

materials to the number names
and symbols.

Emphasize the place value connections.

10 ones (minis) 1 ten (long)
10 tens (longs) 1 hundred (flat)
10 hundreds (flats) 1 thousand (cube)
1000 = 10 x 10 x 10 x 1

Trading games can be played into the thousands, but the rules need to be adjusted to
make use of two ten-sided (0–9) dice, so that two-digit trading takes place. Students will
need a place value mat with four columns (see page 54).

41
42
 By now, the students will have developed a wide range of numeracy skills, many of
which are purely mental; that is, rather than needing to write procedures down, they
can “see” them in their head. As teachers, we need to celebrate this ability.
We are aware of the perception of the importance of a set algorithm for carrying out
an arithmetical procedure and also know that many students feel comfortable with a
set procedure.Consequently, we have not presented one way—the way. Rather, we
have pointed to several strategies to guide students towards a clear, comprehensible
demonstration of their ability to communicate their thinking.In this section, we
discuss and develop more formal methods of calculating. For many years, students
have been taught standard written methods for calculating. These methods, often
referred to as standard written algorithms, have come under scrutiny in recent years.

Opinion varies as to how to develop written computation

or whether we should even be teaching standard written
methods. What is clear is that students should have a good
grasp of place value and have developed fluency with basic
number facts before considering the development of written
methods. Many educators advocate that students move from
mental methods to informal written methods.
In this section, we present approaches to written computation
that build from the place value experiences developed earlier
via experience with Base Ten blocks and trading games. The
students are encouraged to record what happens when they
use Base Ten blocks to calculate.
A cautionary note
We do not advocate using the Base Ten blocks as a
demonstration piece. The students should be given the
opportunity to use the Base Ten materials themselves. A final
word: students who already have developed an efficient means
of calculating on paper should not be forced to abandon their
efficient method. The approaches shown on the following pages
should be viewed as just another method.

43
 D T E S
Double and Split
Purpose
To introduce students
to simple multiplication An informal introduction to multiplication and division
(doubling) and simple
division concepts.
You will need:
• two ten-sided (0–9) dice or spinners
• double and split board (see pg. 46)

Method
Players form groups of three
or four.
Place a central bank of Base
Ten blocks in the middle of
the table. Players begin with
a set number as a supply of
blocks on their double and
split board (in the example,
237), arranged in the bottom
(lower) part of their double

Players take turns to roll two

ten-sided dice and form a
number.
After forming the number,
the player then moves this
number of blocks to the top
half of the chart; for example,
if the player formed 23 with
the digits 2 and 3 from the
dice, he/she would move
2 longs (tens) and 3 minis
(ones) to the top of the board.

44
 The player then takes the
equivalent number of blocks
from the bank (double).
Alternatively, a banker may
be appointed at the start of
the game. Some exchanging/
trading may need to take
place.

This number is then

shared among all the
players other players. Any
remaining blocks are
bank returned to the bank.

Play continues for five rounds. (The number of rounds may be

altered to lengthen or shorten the game.)
At the end of the game, the player with the largest number
showing on the board is the winner.

Tips for playing

Note: The size of the group alters the division that
needs to take place during the game. For example, Variation
if there are four players, blocks are divided among The player with the smallest number
three. If you want the students to divide with larger showing on the board is the winner.
numbers, increase the group size.
You may also change the rule that says to “double
the number of blocks” to triple or even quadruple
the number of blocks in the top half of the board.

45
 Double and Split Board

Note: Enlarge to 11 x 17.

46
 Place Value – 1 D T E S

Purpose
Strengthening and verbalizing place value ideas To further develop
understanding of place
1 If value.
• If a mini has a value of 1, what is the value of a long and a flat? Explain.
• If a mini has a value of 10, what is the value of a long and a flat?
• If a long has a value of 1, what is the value of a flat?
Note: Only multiples of 10 are used to develop place value ideas with the Base Ten blocks.
What is place value?
Definitions abound, but in
the myriad of definitions
one element is common: the
value of an individual digit is
indicated by its position within
2 Students have access to Base Ten blocks.
the overall sequence of digits
• If a mini has a value of 1, what is the value of the other blocks? that make up a number. One
youngster said it very well
when he told us that “Place
value is where the numbers
sit.”
In many published texts, place
value is presented as part
of the understanding of the
multiplication process—when
multiplying by 10. This is a
very narrow view and misses
the incredible flexibility of the
cube (1000) flat (100) long (10) mini (1) decimal position system, which
• Explain why the cube has a value of 1000. As the students are questioned, reinforce the was first introduced into the
concept that: Western world in the thirteenth
century.
– a long is 10 lots of 1 (10 x 1)
Thanks to the extensive use of
– a flat is 10 lots of longs (10 x 10 x 1) trading games, most students
– a cube is 10 lots of flats (10 x 10 x 10 x 1) have developed an intuitive
sense of place value.
The following series of
activities strengthens the
ability of the children to use
their understanding of place
3 Discover the pattern as you find the value of the blocks. value widely. Remember, the
development of place value
ideas is not limited to the use
If … cube flat long mini
of Base Ten blocks.
a mini is worth 1 1000 100 10 1
1
a long is worth 1 100 10 1 /10

a mini is worth 10 10,000 1000 100 10

a flat is worth 100 1000 100 10 1

a long is worth 100 10,000 1000 100 10

47
 D T E S Place Value – 2
Purpose
To reinforce the concept of Variations to reinforce the concept
place value.
Three-prong abacus and Base Ten blocks
• Use Base Ten blocks to show this numeral.

– How many minis altogether? (241)

Place value – How many tens altogether? (24)
If children are to have a good – How many hundreds altogether? (2)
understanding of numbers, it
is extremely important that – What is the value of the beads in the middle column
their understanding of place on the abacus? (4 tens or forty)
value be thoroughly built. This
understanding should deepen
throughout the elementary Dice – 1
years, gradually extending
towards the millions and
incorporating the decimal
numbers.
20-sided die – units 12-sided die – tens 10-sided die – hundreds
The place value concept is
a difficult one. Many people • Throw the three dice. Here is a sample throw.
never achieve the full variety of 13 (20-sided die) 8 (12-sided die) 4 (10-sided die)
ideas that it contains. However,
it is important that place 13 units 8 tens 4 hundreds
value continues to be taught • Match and trade with Base Ten blocks.
throughout the elementary
years. • Explain how the solution was reached.
• Write down the numeral (493).
• Make three throws of the dice. What is the total? (If necessary, use Base Ten blocks to
help.)

Dice – 2
Use the same dice but this time they have no designated value. Throw the three dice and
arrange the numbers to show:
– the largest number
– the smallest number
– the number nearest to a selected number.

Hundreds Tens Units

Choice 1 7 8 14 794
Choice 2 8 7 14 884
Choice 3 14 8 7 1487
Choice 4 14 7 8 1478
Choice 5 8 14 7 947
Choice 6 7 14 8 848
For each answer, an explanation will be offered.

48
 Arrow Math D T E S

Purpose
Connecting counting, number patterns and place value
To develop mental
computation skills.

Movement rules for Arrow Math

one cell to the right
one cell to the left Arrow Math
one cell vertically up This activity is one of the most
stimulating and challenging
one cell vertically down activities we have used to build
one cell diagonally up or down, number efficiency in middle
to the left or right and upper elementary school
students.
Initially introduced as a Base
1 Each member of the class has the Arrow Math 0–99 Grid (pg. 50). Ten activity to practice number
• Introduce the activity by writing on the board: skills, Arrow Math became a
focus of activity for several
61 ? weeks. Here are some of the
ideas which blossomed.
On the grid, I start at 61. The arrow tells me to move one cell to the right. The next arrow instructs me
to move one cell immediately above, where I stop. What number is that? Yes, 52.

Try these moves Codes

2
? The letters of the alphabet
33
were linked to the numbers 1
? to 26. To write a letter, four or
43
more moves on the grid had to
74 ? be created. Secret messages
were passed from person to
person, but it soon became
3 Now invent some more. Test your neighbor with your Arrow code. obvious that these messages
could be easily translated. So
4 Close your eyes and work out the solution in your head. groups of students invented
their own code base; for
5 Introduce variations: example, the letters of the
alphabet may be represented
(3) means three cells to the right. by the numbers 86 to 61, with
• Start at a cell and make 6 moves to finish where you started. a secret clue to indicate the
number range used.
• Invent signs to indicate moves such as 2 cells to the right and 3 cells vertically.
For some students, this proved
too easy, so they invented
6 Write the moves as number equations; for example: a new method of hiding
• 33 ? may be written as 33 + 10 + 10 + 1 = 54 the code. It was based on a
selected grid, not a 10 x 10
• 43 ? may be written as 43 + 9 – 1 – 10 = 41 grid. A group of students could
work Arrow Math on any grid
• 74 ? may be written as 74 – 10 + 1 + 10 – 1 = 74 (Explain!) selected, the most popular
being the 8 x 8 grid.
This activity was so popular in
one classroom that all other
Note: If a different grid is used or number practice activities were
if zero is shown in the bottom-left abandoned. Try it!
corner of the grid, the meaning of the
arrows will change.

49
 Arrow Math Board

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59

60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69

70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79

80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89

90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

50
 Decimal Fractions
Using Base Ten materials to model decimals
Note: mini represents 1.
cube
(represents 1000)
A 10 x relationship exists between the mini and the long and then between the long and the
flat and so on.
By changing the piece that
represents 1, we can model
decimals. Note: The relationship
between the pieces remains the
same.
• If the flat represents 1, what
would the value of the other
pieces be? (long 0.1, mini
0.01)
• If the cube represents 1, what
will each of the other pieces
represent? (flat 0.1, long 0.01,
mini 0.001)
• If the long represents 1, what
will each of the other pieces
represent? (cube 100, flat 10,
mini 0.1)
D T E S
Purpose
To develop the relationship
between the Base Ten
blocks further to model
decimals.
Background
Base Ten materials may
be used to model decimal
numbers. The transition can be
flat long mini fairly simple if the relationship
(represents 100) (represents 10) (represents 1) between the pieces has been
clearly established and the
pieces have been referred to
as “long” and “flat” rather than
“10” and “100.”
If the flat is assigned a value
of 1, then the long represents
0.1 or 1/10 and the mini, 0.01 or
1
/100. The cube would represent
10.
Trading games using Base Ten
materials may be played.
Note: Rather than a trading board
with the following headings:
Hundreds Tens Ones
… we choose to use a trading board
like this (see pg. 52) …
… or this …
… with variations.
51
Base Ten Decimal Fraction Trading Board - 1

Minis
Longs
Flats

Didax, Inc.®

Note: Enlarge to 11 x 17.

Stick the decimal point on the board to indicate the place values.

52
 Trading with Decimal
D T E S
Fractions
Extending the number experience Purpose
To expand the place value
You will need: system into tenths and
hundredths.
• trading board (pg. 54) Longs Minis
Cubes Flats
• a collection of Base Ten
blocks

• 10–sided die

Method
• Before play begins, decide which block has a value of 1.
• Players take turns to roll the die and collect that number in minis.
• When there is more than 9 blocks in a column, players trade.
• Once players have traded (if necessary), they write their progressive total.

Examples:
The games below have already started. The long has a value of 1.

Cubes Flats Longs Minis Cubes Flats Longs Minis

Collect 7 minis. Trade (10 for 1). “2 and 2 tenths” (22/10)

Write the progressive total. (2.2)

Cubes Flats Longs Minis Cubes Flats Longs Minis

3 tenths and 2 hundredths Throw a 9 and trade. (41/100)

0.32 (thirty-two hundredths) 0.41 (forty-one hundredths)
Continue playing a variety of trading games while encouraging students to verbalize their moves before writing them down.
It is important for the students to realize that decimal fractions are related to the idea of “ten-ness.”

53
 Minis
Base Ten Decimal Fraction Trading Board – 2
Longs
Flats
Cubes

Didax, Inc.®

Note: Enlarge to 11 x 17.

Stick the decimal point on the board to indicate the place values.

54
 Decitrade D T E S

Purpose
Using Base Ten materials to trade decimals
To apply exchanging/trading
You will need: to decimals

Long Mini
• 3 ten-sided (0–9) dice or spinners
Cube Flat

• 1 trading board per student

Background
• a collection of Base Ten blocks
Essentially, Decitrade follows
the same procedure as the
other trading games in this
book. The difference is that
the Base Ten materials are
Method
redefined.
A game for three or four players. One player takes on the role of the banker, who is
involved in all exchanges (trades). Language
Define the flat as representing 1; therefore, the long will represent 0.1 (1/10) and the mini When saying a number like
will represent 0.01 (1/100). 7.63, we prefer the students
to say “seven and sixty-three
Players take turns rolling the dice to form a number. The dice are arranged to form the hundredths,” as this is the
largest possible number; for example, if a 2, 4 and 5 are rolled, the player would form the real meaning of 7.63. Watch
number 5.42 and place it on the board. for students who say “seven
point sixty-three,” as this is
Cube Flat Long Mini totally wrong and leads to
misconceptions.
We also like to use a banker
in these games so the
exchange or trading process
is emphasized. Encourage the
students to verbalize the trade;
for example, “I am trading 10
hundredths for 1 tenth.”
Recording of the exchanges
will help students develop
an understanding of written
calculation.

The player who reaches 30 or another set number is the Variation

winner. Use the dice to generate the
Alternatively, the winner might be the player with the largest smallest number. The winner
number on his/her board after a set number of rounds. then becomes the player with the
smallest number on the board
after a set number of rounds.

55
 D T E S
Addition
Purpose
To formalize addition.
Developing addition skills

Throughout the trading games experiences, we have built a powerful abstract

understanding of addition and other operations. In this section, we formalize the process of
addition through the use of Base Ten materials.
The standard algorithm Establish that if a mini has a value of 1 then a long has a value of 10.
It seems the majority of
mathematics education is
targeted at the standard Using your Base Ten blocks to help you, find the total of 23 and 35. (Some students will
1
algorithm. The algorithm, want to use a trading board; that’s OK!)
rather than the understanding
of the underlying concepts,
becomes the center of the
teaching process.
When added together
After working with the Base this makes 5 longs
Ten blocks, we were pleased and 8 minis, which is 5
to recognize that most lots of ten and 8 ones,
students saw the writing which is 58.
down of an operation as,
firstly, an aid to their thinking
and, secondly, as a form of
communication.
This demonstrates the typical thought and explanatory process.
Some students will calculate
mentally, others will use
informal written methods,
and still others will record on
paper what they did with the
materials. As the calculations 2 Tony had 51 marbles, Kathy had 23 marbles and John had 14. They placed them all in one
become more complex, an bag. How many marbles were in the bag altogether? Use the blocks to help you.
efficient written method will be
devised.
Tony Kathy John

88 marbles altogether

56
 Try this: “Our class has 28 students; the class next door has 27 students. How many Formal language skills
3
students altogether?” Undoubtedly, many formal
(Don’t be surprised if many students supply the answer immediately without the use of the mathematical terms have been
blocks. They have had a lot of practice.) used in conversations with the
students. As students explain
their mathematical actions,
they will attempt to use the
correct or most appropriate
language. For example, we
4 lots of 10 say “seven and six” and
Number of students encourage phrases such as
in Classroom 1 “add seven and six” and “to
seven add six,” or “What is
the total of seven and six?”
We can name that as We make lists of different
15 lots of 1 ways to say the same thing.
Þfty-Þve
Consequently, a wide variety of
Number of students Number of students altogether vocabulary is being developed
in Classroom 2 and with that a more complete
understanding of the operation.

Use the trading board (see sidebar)—“37 and 45.” Knowing that more formal
4 language will be developed,
Tens Ones Tens Ones Tens Ones we are confident the students
have a sound basis on which
to create mathematical
language fluency.

To this collection add another 45
Compose the collection
Trade 10 minis for 1 long to
make 8 longs and 2 minis
37 and 45
Some students will
immediately see this as
37 + 45
Other students may be
at a different stage of
understanding, so present this
very abstract challenge in a
variety of ways.

Explain what you did to get this solution. • One carriage of a train
carried 37 passengers
and the other contained
45 passengers. How many
5 Using written numerals passengers were on this
What is the total of 34 and 17? two-carriage train?
• Use the Base Ten blocks to
Tens Ones Tens Ones show the total of 37 and
34 17 45. Make sure you show
the total with as few blocks
as possible.
Write the numerals on
the board A number of students will need
the support of a trading board.
All this is fine, but please allow
the students to share their
ideas.

57
 Addition without
D T E S
Regrouping
Purpose
To formalize the addition
process.
To add two- and three-digit
numbers without regrouping
(trading).
1. Discuss a number sentence; for Hundreds Tens Ones
instance, “Sarah has 24 stickers and
Janelle has 32. How many stickers do 1
they have altogether?”
2. Students represent the numbers on an 2
Mental and written
operations board using blocks.
Even though we introduce the
idea of addition with two-digit 3. Begin with the ones. Combine them
numbers, there will be many and put them in the answer row.
students who can add two- Record.
digit numbers in their head or 4. Combine the tens and put them in the
by using efficient alternative answer row. Record.
written methods. Please do not
force them to abandon these 5. Discuss results.
methods in favor of the one
shown here.

Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones

This approach may be
3 4 extended to three-digit
addition (without regrouping).
For example:
1. Discuss a number
sentence; for example,
“We traveled 134 miles
before lunch and 242 miles
after lunch. How far did we
travel?”
2. Ask the students to
represent this on their
operation boards.
3. Combine the blocks,
beginning with the ones,
recording each step.
4. Discuss the answer. Does it
seem reasonable?

58
Didax, Inc.®
Operations Board

Hundreds
Tens
Ones

Note: Enlarge to 11 x 17.

59
 D T E S
Addition with
Regrouping
Purpose
To add two- and three-
digit numbers that require
regrouping (trading).

Tens Ones Tens Ones

1

2 3
Student’s own methods
Some students may have
developed efficient methods for
adding two-digit numbers with
regrouping. If this is the case,
encourage them to share their
method. Simply present the
method outlined on this page
as an alternative approach.

Four digits and beyond

While Base Ten blocks may
be used to model four-digit
numbers, we tend not to 1. Discuss the number sentence; for 3. Starting with the Ones column, combine
use them when calculating instance, “There were 59 trucks and the minis and bring them down into the
as it becomes a little too 23 cars in the parking lot. How many results row.
cumbersome. vehicles were there?”
Record the steps.
If the students have a good 2. Students represent the numbers on the
grasp of place value and are operation board.
fluent with their basic number
facts, they should be able to
apply the principles developed
with two- and three-digit Tens Ones Tens Ones
addition to four digits and
beyond.
6

A similar approach may

be used when adding
three-digit numbers that
involve regrouping. For
example, when adding
327 and 294, the students
lay the two numbers on
4
the operation board, do
all the exchanges required
and combine the Base
Ten blocks to arrive at the 4. “We have too many in the ones column, 6. Students combine longs in the answer
solution. While this is going what will we do?” Students exchange row of the Tens column.
on, the students should 10 minis for 1 long and place the long in
record all the steps. 7. Record the steps.
the Tens column
8. Discuss.
5. Record the steps.

60
 0 1
7 8 9

2 3
Guide to using
this photocopiable
resource
4 Making a spinner
5 6 These spinner templates
have been provided in
case ten-sided dice are
not available. Many of the
activities in this book require
the use of ten-sided dice.
Often, normal six-sided
dice can be substituted.
The ten-sided dice has the
advantage of including a
zero.
A pencil and a paper-clip can
be used to spin numbers on

0 1 the circular spinner, if plastic

spinner arrows are not easily

9 available.
A toothpick may be inserted
through the center of a
cardboard version of the
decagon-shaped spinner.
7 8

2 3

The spinner may then be

twirled to randomly generate
a number (the number the
spinner comes to rest on).

4
5 6

61
 D T E S
Purpose
To develop simple ideas of
subtraction.
Situations leading to
learning
There are many different
situations that may lead to
the need to subtract. While
many people think primarily
of “taking away” when
subtracting, there are many
types of subtraction situations.
Consider the following
situation: “Aunt Sharon had 12
cookies, then her children ate
some. Now she has 7 cookies.
How many did the children
eat?”
In this section, we will focus
on the “take away” notion of
subtraction.
Encourage students to create
many other situations which
lead to the idea of subtraction.
62
Subtraction
From trading games to subtraction
• Show me 4 less than a long. (Students will decompose the
long to minis then remove 4 minis.)
• Remove 4 minis from this long.
• What is the difference between a long and 6 minis?
• What must I add to 6 minis in order to make a long?
• By how much are 4 minis placed end to end shorter than 1 long?
• What is left when I take 6 minis away from this long?
All of these situations may be solved using concepts of subtraction.
1 From trading to subtraction
Students will have practiced this when playing trading games.
• Place a number of longs on the trading board.
• Throw a die. The number thrown must be removed from the board in minis.
• Remember to record the process.
Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones
3 minis are removed, leaving
2 longs and 7 minis
2 • Begin with a collection similar to this.
• Use a 10- or 12-sided die.
• Throw a 9.
• The students will realize there are not Hundreds Tens Ones
enough minis available.
• To solve this problem, a long must be
decomposed.
A student might record this: “I had to remove
9 minis from my collection but I did not have
enough so I broke a long, leaving 1 flat, 2 longs
and 12 minis. I took away the 9 minis, leaving 1
flat, 2 longs and 3 minis, which is 123.”
Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones
 The best fit
3 • Begin with a collection similar to this.
Hundreds Tens Ones In 1960, Zoltan Dienes wrote
• Verbally instruct, “Remove 17 minis.” “the problem of learning
• Encourage the students to record what is essentially how to find a
happened. kind of ‘best fit’ between
the structure of the task and
the structure of the person’s
thinking.”
We have found this
observation to be so true. In
our classroom work, we have
Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones discovered that there seems to
be as many ways of reaching
a satisfactory solution as the
number of students in the
group. There are two major
problems in this situation and
both need to be recognized
and carefully managed.
Firstly, the teacher needs to
Remove 17 minis 1 ßat, 1 long and 5 minis
accept the concept of “multiple
embodiments” (there are many
pathways to a destination),
instead of trying to impose
a perceived “rightness” on
the learner. And secondly, the
4 • Use the same collection (115). student needs to be (carefully)
discouraged from trying to
• Verbally instruct, “Remove 47 minis.”
please the teacher with ideas
the student thinks the teacher
Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones expects.
This is extremely important.
If the student has already
developed an efficient method
of subtracting, do not force
him/her to adopt your method.
Not easy! But, if we wish to
develop a healthy attitude
towards mathematics in our
Trade 1 ßat for 10 longs
young learners, these attitudes
need to be developed.

Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones

Trade 1 long for Remove 4 longs and

10 minis 7 minis.

• Encourage the students to record this.

Note: Without any instruction or guidance, this procedure is followed by students naturally.
By now the idea of subtraction by decomposing is starting to be established.

63
 D T E S
Subtraction without
Decomposition
Purpose
To develop simple ideas of Formalizing subtraction
subtraction.
Tens Ones

1 I had 65 marbles and I lost 34. How

many did I have left?
Background 2 Students represent 65 on their
The example shown on this operations board.
page illustrates how Base Ten 3 As the aim is to take Base Ten 3 4
blocks may be used to solve a
blocks away from the 6 longs and
subtraction problem based on
5 minis, it is best to use numeral
a “take away” situation.
cards to represent 34. These are
Note the use of number a reminder of what is to be taken
cards in conjunction with the away.
operations board.
Students with efficient mental
methods should not be forced
to use the method outlined— Tens Ones
especially when dealing with
two-digit numbers.

4 Starting with the ones, students take

4 minis away from the operations
board and put them in a box. The
remaining ones are brought down to 3 4
the results row. Record.

Tens Ones

A similar approach may

be applied to three-digit
subtraction.
5 Repeat for the tens. Record.
1. Begin with a situation. 3 4
2. Students represent
the situation on their
place value chart.

64
 Subtraction with
Decomposition
Tens Ones
1 8
1 To subtract 18 from 42, use Base
Ten blocks to represent 42 and
numeral cards to represent 18 on their
operation boards.
Tens Ones
1 8
3 Remove 8 ones leaving 4; place these
in the answer row. (Record)
Tens Ones
1 8
2 Start with the ones. “We cannot take
8 ones away from 2 ones. We trade 1
long from the Tens column for 10 minis,
making 12 ones altogether.” (Record)
Tens Ones
1 8
Now take 1 ten from 3 tens. Put the 2
4 fairly simple to subtract
tens in the answer row. (Record)
D T E S
Purpose
To perform a subtraction that
involves regrouping
(trading).
Subtraction
As mentioned earlier, there are
various forms of subtraction;
for example, to calculate the
result of the question “How
much more is 42 miles than
18 miles?” would involve
beginning with 18 on the
place value chart (1 long and
8 minis) and then adding Base
Ten blocks to make 42.
The subtraction algorithm
demonstrated on this page
relates to the “take away”
notion of subtraction.
A similar approach may
be used for three-
digit subtraction with
regrouping.
A good understanding
of place value will
assist students trying to
subtract. For example,
when subtracting 73
from 548, it is fairly
simple to subtract 3
ones from the 8 ones,
but quite difficult to
subtract 7 tens from 4
tens. However, if the
student understands
that there are 54 tens in
548 or 4 hundreds and
14 tens in 548 then it is
7 tens from 14 tens of
54 tens.
65
 Subtraction Numerals

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 0

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 0

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 0

66 66
 Multiplication – 1 D T E S

Purpose
Illustrating multiplication
To formalize the
multiplication process.
34
x 3 Three lots of 34

1 This may be illustrated by placing 34 on 2 The student will notice that there are 12
the trading board, three times. minis in the Ones column, 10 of these may
be traded for 1 long (ten).
Tens Ones Tens Ones
Background
The calculation illustrated
on this page is based on the
repeated addition notion of
multiplication.
After working with single-digit
multipliers, students should
move to the use of symbols.
Note that the students need
to have developed a good
understanding of place value
and basic number facts, before
embarking on formal written
methods.
Using Base Ten blocks
for more than single-
digit multipliers is not
recommended.

3 Which leads to 10 longs (tens) being shown on the trading

board. If using a two-column trading board, the students may
wonder what to do; we have observed students creating their
own hundreds column to show 102.

Tens Ones

4 Alternatively, if using the three-column trading board:

Hundreds Tens Ones

67
 D T E S Multiplication – 2
Purpose
To perform a subtraction that
involves regrouping (trading). Using addition skills to understand multiplication
Students will understand the
concept of multiplication as
a form of repeated addition.
1 Discuss what is understood when we say, “How many in three lots of 8?”

A possible reply:
Student: Three lots of 8 is 3 times 8 and I know that is 24.
Teacher: How do you know that?
Multiplication Student: Well, 8 and 8—that’s double 8—is 16, and 16 and 8 is 24. That makes 3 lots of 8.
Teacher: OK! Now, show three lots of 8 using the Base Ten blocks
Multiplication by a single digit
may be developed with the aid
of Base Ten blocks, but it soon Compose these blocks into a
becomes cumbersome beyond simpler form.
single-digit multipliers.
If students have developed
a concept of multiplication
that involves arrays as well 3 lots of 8 2 longs and 4 minis … 24
as repeated addition, then
they will have developed
an appreciation for the
commutative property of
multiplication. That is, they will 2 Hundreds Tens Ones
understand that 3 x 4 = 4 x 3.
This will help when learning to
multiply.
Four rows of three

Each student begins with a mini on the trading board.

• Add another mini, or double the number of minis, or make twice as

gives the same result as three
rows of four.
Note, however, that situations
may differ. Taking 4 tablets
three times a day is clearly
different from taking 3 tablets,
four times a day—even though
at the end of the day you will
have taken 12 tablets!
many minis, or show two lots of 1 minis.
• Each student will have 2 minis: Double the collection.
• Each student will have 4 minis: Double the collection.
• Each student will have 8 minis: Double the collection.
• Each student will have 16 minis: This requires a trading process;
here, 16 minis becomes 1 long and 6 minis.
• Continue this process until 2 flats, 5 longs and 6 minis are
collected.
An exercise in doubling is recognized. Record each step.
Use the same process with other counting patterns:
– 3 lots of each amount
– 5 lots of each amount
– 10 lots of each amount.
By now students will be predicting patterns and recording the changes meaningfully.

68
3 Ten times (Present these ideas orally.) What if …?
• Hold a mini. “Show me a block that is equivalent to ten lots of this mini.” (A long) Many times we are asked,
• Hold a long. “Show me a block that is equivalent to ten lots of this long.” (A flat) “Do I allow a student to use
a formal symbol such as + or
• Hold 2 minis. “Show blocks that are equivalent to ten lots.” (2 longs) = ?”
• Hold 5 minis. “Show blocks that are equivalent to ten lots.” (5 longs)
We do not think it is a case
• Hold up a 3 longs and 4 minis. “Show blocks that are equivalent to ten groups of 3 longs of giving permission to use
and 4 minis.” (3 flats and 4 longs) symbolic notation. In fact,
Provide plenty of this experience. Avoid using the cube at this stage. we have observed that most
children are familiar with the
Ten times on a trading board notation symbols, but not
always competent in their
Hundreds Tens Ones use. As an extreme example,
consider this: when asked
what the equal sign (=)
means, a group of ninth grade
students agreed that it meant
“adds up to.”
In our day-to-day presentation,
we do not avoid using the
10 lots of trades to symbols, but we place great
emphasis on developing a
Hundreds Tens Ones common and acceptable
meaning. Here is our
technique.

A meaning or word
collection

4 Lots of (you may prefer “groups of”)

You will need:
Tens Ones lots of
x groups of
• trading board product
• Base Ten blocks
• 2 six-sided dice (different colors)
Students find a word that
might be symbolized by an
operation sign. After several
Throw a die and collect the words are collected, the
appropriate number of minis. words are ranked in order
of appropriateness. This is a
student-centered process.
Tens Ones Tens Ones We look to avoid words like
“times.” Hidden in these words
is a collection of misleading
ideas. You will recognize other
words of this nature.

Throw the second die and create that Trade.

number of groups.

69
 Base Ten Blocks

Guide to using
this photocopiable
resource

There are many uses for

these drawings of Base
Ten blocks.
• Each student has a
sheet to cut up as
required illustrations
to make diagrams
with appropriate
explanations.
• Printed on firm paper,
they may be used
as trading materials
instead of the bulkier
blocks. Each student
can have a set of Base
Ten material.
• Enlarge the illustrations
to make wall displays.
• Use these pictures
to illustrate activities
which will be kept for
portfolio purposes;
in other words, to
establish a permanent
record.
• Appropriate
illustrations may be
created to highlight key
points on a number
line.
We recommend students
have free access to
copies of this resource.

70
 Sharing Time D T E S

Purpose
Developing trading (place
Developing the sharing concept for division value) understanding.
Developing the division
To attract interest, tell a simple story to establish the need for sharing the “amount” on the concept.
trading board. Here is a suggestion.
Last week, a ferocious storm ravaged the town. Fundraising appeals asked you to donate
some “money” (blocks) to help people restore their damaged homes.

On your trading board you Share your collection into 2 equal amounts: one share Division
have: you donate, the other you keep. While this activity emphasizes
the sharing aspect of division,
there are other ways to think
Tens Ones Tens Ones of division, such as grouping.
Donate For example, you might have
Keep 24 minis and be asked how
many groups of 4 can be
made. (6)

Careful use of
vocabulary
Challenges
We have found that
• Make three equal groups from this collection. many words used at this
developmental stage can
Hundreds Tens Ones cause confusion. When
playing the trading games,
we encourage students to use
their own words. Sometimes,
they may be using the correct
terminology, but always we
ask them to explain what they
mean.
Later, we model the correct
terminology for the students
in discussion with the whole
class or small groups.

Small group work

To allow for children’s
individual differences, most
of the learning should take
place individually or in small
• Share 1 flat, 4 longs and 5 minis equally among five people. groups of twos and threes. It is
(1. Decompose the flat. 2. Decompose the longs. 3. Share the minis.) not likely that more than three
children will work at the same
• If I share 3 longs and 8 minis among my four friends, how many minis will I have left pace and in roughly the same
over? Ask the students to explain their reasoning. way.
Encourage students to discuss the processes they use to find a solution. Avoid the use of
formal symbols, even though the students are talking about them.

71
 D T E S Division
Purpose
To perform division Much more than “How many?”
calculations with single-digit
divisors. 1 Just like preparing for a party
• Discuss how many candies and other treats are provided for a party. How do you know
how many things to purchase? And then, how do you share them out?
• Set up groups of 4 students, each group with 24 minis.
• Share the minis among the group members so each person has an equal amount.
Relationships between
operations • Into how many equal groups have we shared the minis? (4)

As we have suggested that • Explain why the answer to how many you will each get is 6. (You will receive various
multiplication is a form of ideas. Do not discourage any thoughtful consideration.)
repeated addition, we can
also suggest that division is a
form of repeated subtraction.
These relationships need 2 Base Ten blocks: Sharing
to be understood at the
abstract level; that is, these • How many equal groups can be
relationships are something created? (3) Tens Ones
“we know.”
• How many minis in each group? (3)
Likewise, an appreciation
that addition is the inverse of • Share the minis equally among three
subtraction—some students people.
will say “the opposite.” All these questions/challenges require a
Division is the inverse of concept of division. You may create other
multiplication. For example: challenges to strengthen the idea.
5 x 3 = 15 (multiplication)
15 ÷ 3 = 5 (division)
We feel it is important that
the students discover these
relationships as they explore 3 Base Ten blocks: Grouping
number patterns through the
four operations. How many groups of 4 can be made from 2 longs?
+ Ð
Tens Ones Tens Ones

x Ö

You can make 5 groups of 4 minis.

Provide many practice exercises but avoid creating remainders at this stage.

72
 Two views of division
4
Hundreds Tens Ones At this stage of
development, we feel
it is not necessary to
impose these views on
the students. But in the
activities presented both
aspects of division will be
• How many people can receive 1 long? covered.
• 15 people are to receive an equal amount of this total. What do they receive? First view:
• How many people can receive 2 longs each? Sees division as
ascertaining the number of
equal groups that can be
formed from the original
Hundreds Tens Ones amount. This is called
grouping (quotition).
Share 15 candies among
3 people. How many do
they each get? 15 ÷ 3 = 5
• Divide this collection into 6 equal parts. Describe the blocks in each part. That is, there are 5 equal
groups.
Second view.
Ensure the students are discussing their procedures. Challenge them to create other
sharing situations. Considers the number of
items in a group.
Place 15 candies in bags,
5 Introducing a remainder with 3 in each bag. How
Discuss the remainder when the situation arises. many bags? 15 ÷ 5 = 3
Here we know how many
Divide a flat equal groups there; now
You will need: we know how many items
in each group. (partition)
• a trading board
Once the calculation
• a collection of Base Ten blocks moves beyond single-digit
• a six-sided die division, Base Ten blocks
become cumbersome.
A game for groups of four or five students. Each player starts each round with a flat. In
turns, the die is thrown. The number indicates how many equal groups are to be created.

On this throw, three equal groups are

Hundreds Tens Ones required.
Trade the flat for 10 longs giving 3
groups of longs and 1 left over.
Trade a long for 10 minis and share.
Hey! There is one remaining.
The player may keep any blocks
that are left over—we call that the
remainder. At the end, the player with
the largest total of remainders wins.

73
 D T E S Checking Your Work
Purpose
To develop techniques for
estimating. When performing a calculation, encourage students to make an estimate, which may be
used to check the answer.
There are several techniques that may be used to form an estimate. For example, set out
Base Ten blocks to show:

Background
Hundreds Tens Ones
When they are performing a
calculation, we encourage
students to follow a three-step
process:
estimate—calculate—
evaluate.
On this page, we give a brief
overview of some simple
4 1 7
estimation techniques for
addition. Front-end rounding
methods—along with
variations—may be applied to
all four operations: +, –, x, ÷.
Another simple checking
technique uses patterns such
as odd and even. For example, 2 8 9
when adding two odd numbers
we expect an even result.

3 6 2

Discuss various ways you might estimate the result.

For example, you could cover all the tens and units and just
focus on the hundreds
400 + 200 + 300 = 900
to form an estimate of 900.
Students will note that while this method is simple and easily executed, the
estimate will always be below the actual result.

Other students may note that the 89 part of 289 is close to one hundred and so it would
make sense to round 289 to 300. The estimate would then become 1000 which is much
closer to the actual result.

74
 The Block Game D T E S

Purpose
Bringing ideas together To review all four
operations.
To learn the game, each player in the group of three to five students plays the same moves
for the first few rounds. Then, each player throws the die and acts accordingly.

Sample of play

Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones

You will need:
• an operations die and
a 6-sided die
• a collection of Base
Ten blocks
+ • a trading board for
each player

Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones

Simple rules
Throw a:

+ the required number

Ð of blocks is taken
x from the central
collection

Ð the required number

of blocks is returned
Hundreds Tens Ones Hundreds Tens Ones to the central
collection
Trade
x the player increases
the blocks on his/her
board by that many
times; for example,
Ð x 3 means triple the
number of blocks on
(Note: A trade has occurred.) the board.

Hundreds Tens Ones Ö the player is allowed

to keep one equal
share, the other
shares are returned to
the central collection.
Ö (Remainder is
returned to the

Observe students not using the blocks; to speed up their move they are calculating
mentally. Do not insist, but most students will achieve this skill.
At this stage of development, we suggest you consider resting from Base Ten blocks
activities for a few weeks. Allow ideas to assimilate.

75
 D T E S
Purpose
To develop understanding
of percentages and decimal
fractions (hundredths).
Background
Percent literally means per
hundred. The flat is a square
region that is divided into 100
equal parts. It is an ideal model
for depicting percents and
hundredths. The equivalence
between percentages and
hundredths should be
emphasized where possible.
Guide to
using these
photocopiable
resources
Large Percent Grids
(page 77)
Students use Base
Ten materials to cover
the squares on the
grid to show various
percentages.
Small Percent Grids
(page 78)
Over the percent grids
students shade the
“% off” amounts from
a retail catalog.
76
Percent
Using a flat to model percentages
1 Distribute a flat and some longs and minis to each student in the class. Provide each
student with a copy of the photocopiable version of the flat.
Ask the students to check how many squares are shown on a flat.
Explain that each square represents one-hundredth (1/100) of the total area of the flat.
Introduce the term percentage as meaning “for each hundred.” Show how this may be
recorded; for example:
37 hundredths
37
/100
37 percent These are all names
for the same thing.
37%
0.37
Ask the students to show 37 hundredths by covering the flat with longs and minis. Quickly
scan that the students have used 3 longs and 7 minis to cover 37 hundredths.
2 Pose several challenges:
Cover:
25% 99% 1% 50% 10%
These amounts may be shown in a variety of ways; for example, 25% may be shown with 2
longs and 5 minis.
3 Ask the students to cover 4 Ask the students to cover 200%.
1
/2 % or 0.5% The students will need to cover 2 flats.
Watch what happens. Students will Then ask them to cover 250%.
not be able to cover the flat with
Record the results on the photocopiable
minis. Some might suggest cutting a
page.
mini in half! Some students may color
half of one square.
0.5% 200%
Large Percent Grids

77
 Small Percent Grids

78
 Adding Tenths and
D T E S
Hundredths
Purpose
Using the flat as a base for adding and subtracting fractions To add/subtract tenths and
hundredths.

Using the flat as a base, ask the students to show 15 one-

1
hundredths (15/100). The students should show:
Quickly scan the class to check the way the students Adding fractions
have represented 15/100. Note that some may use 15 minis
to cover the flat. Encourage the students to use the least In this activity, students are
number of blocks to represent the 15. exposed to adding fractions
with like denominators
(hundredths) and unlike
denominators (tenths and
Next, ask the students to place 32 hundredths 32/100 on hundredths).
the flat (leaving the 15/100 on the flat). Ask them to describe
what is now shown on the flat (47/100).
Subtracting fractions
Fractions with like
denominators (hundredths)
and unlike denominators
2 Set further challenges. (tenths and hundredths) may
Add be subtracted using this
approach.
23
• /100 and 17/100
11
• /100 and 28/100
50
• /100 and 19/100
25
• /100 and 37/100
67
• /100 and 42/100

Students may shade in squares on the photocopy masters (see pg. 77–78).

3 Relate 10/100 to 1/10. Ask the students to 4 Ask the students to suggest how you
show 3/10, 8/10, 10/10. might subtract fractions using this
approach. Set some more for the
Ask the students to place 2/10 on the flat
students to try.
and 34/100 on the flat. What is the result?
43
Set some more for the students to try. • /100 take away 12/100
49
• /100 and 3/10 • 65
/100 take away 25/100
4
• /10 and 21/100 • 94
/100 take away 32/100
6
• /10 and 34/100 • 50
/100 take away 3/10
2
• /10 and 25/100 and 3/10
Shade in squares on the photocopy
masters (see pg. 77–78) to record
the results of their calculations. Using
two different colors, it will depict the
calculation clearly.

79
80
 Measurement of most
things arises from a
human need
From the earliest days of trading,
accurate measurement was very
important. Over the centuries, various
means of consistent measurement
have been devised, most arising from
basic relationships found on the human
body. I enjoy telling students that I
would get a job with a cloth merchant
in Ancient Egypt. You see my arms
are short and I am of stocky build. In
those days, an easy way to measure
cloth was by stretching the cloth from
the tip of a person’s nose to the tip
of his/her longest finger. Later, this
practice was transformed to a constant
measurement, a ruler. Encourage
students to research the development
of the need for constant (regular)
measurement in our society.
All measurement systems are based on
three basic values: length, mass and
time. Base Ten blocks represent the
first value system—length—giving rise
to understandings of area and volume.
An attempt has been made to create
mass-related Base Ten blocks but
manufacturing problems (accuracy) and
cost have limited their popularity. So, in
summary: Base Ten blocks may make a
valuable learning aid in the curriculum
areas of length, area and volume.

The metric system

It is important to recognize that the metric measurement
system (SI metric system) has been devised on the base of
10. First brought up for discussion in 1690 by the French abbé,
Gaberiel Mouton, it was not until 1840 that the metric system
was made compulsory in France. And that was not long after
Napoleon Bonaparte offered his enthusiastic support for the
idea. Elementary school students need a wide range of practical
Challenge:
Discover something
measurement experiences to conceptualize the measurement
in the world that is
system. In many ways, it is a very abstract system where the
units of measurement are based on the decimal system. For
not measured.
most adults, and after plenty of experience, this is not a problem.
However, for developing students, care needs to be taken that this
important area of mathematics is not rushed or forced. 81
 D T E S
Comparing Lengths
Purpose
To measure in decimeters Long, longer, longest
and centimeters.
Review the length of the mini and the long. Each student will need 2 longs (10 cm each)
and 9 minis (1 cm each).

Background
The long is 10 cm or 1
decimeter long and the mini is Find the length of various items; for example, the length
1 centimeter long. These two of the desk, a book, the distance from elbow to wrist.
pieces may be combined to 1
measure short distances.
Note: Some longs from older
sets of Base Ten materials may
not be 10 cm. Check your set
before attempting this activity.

Discover objects that are 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm long.

2

How long is your step? Students Are you a square or a rectangle? Use
3 work with a partner. One 4 the string to measure arm span and
student takes a step and the height. Compare the two lengths.
other measures (possibly with
string first or longs and minis).
Investigate whether taller people
have longer strides.

82

001 99 89 79 69 59 49 39 29 19
09 98 88 78 68 58 48 38 28 18
08 97 87 77 67 57 47 37 27 17
Length Strips
07 96 86 76 66 56 46 36 26 16
06 95 85 75 65 55 45 35 25 15
05 94 84 74 64 54 44 34 24 14
04 93 83 73 63 53 43 33 23 13
03 92 82 72 62 52 42 32 22 12
02 91 81 71 61 51 41 31 21 11
01 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
83
001 99 89 79 69 59 49 39 29 19
09 98 88 78 68 58 48 38 28 18
08 97 87 77 67 57 47 37 27 17
07 96 86 76 66 56 46 36 26 16
Join the pieces at the shaded ends to make a meter strip.
06 95 85 75 65 55 45 35 25 15
05 94 84 74 64 54 44 34 24 14
04 93 83 73 63 53 43 33 23 13
03 92 82 72 62 52 42 32 22 12
02 91 81 71 61 51 41 31 21 11
1 01 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 D T E S Make a Meter
Purpose
To measure in decimeters
and centimeters. A game for
To review the exchanging two players
process.

You will need:

• a supply of longs and minis

• a ten-sided (0-9) die

• a meter stick (or a meter-long track see pg. 83)

Method

Players take turns rolling the die and collecting that number of minis (1-cm
lengths) and laying them along the meter ruler (or track). Once ten minis are
collected, they will be exchanged for a long.
The winner is the first player to reach a meter.

84
 Making a Square D T E S
Meter
Purpose
Developing a feel for area To help students develop a
“feel” for what constitutes a
square meter.
Materials
• a good supply of Base Ten
blocks and 100 flats
• some newspaper A common
misconception
• rulers
Many students think that
• scissors because there are 100 cm in
• tape a meter there should be 100
cm2 in a square meter. This
is plainly wrong; 100 cm x
100 cm or 10,000 cm2 make
up 1 m2. Students can clearly
What to do see from the physical model
made from flats or the paper
1 Encourage discussion about items sold by the square meter. (Note: Some items are sold model of joined flats that more
by the linear meter, such as carpet, which comes in a roll of fixed width.) Ask students to than 100 cm2 make up the
describe a figure that might have an area close to 1 m2. square meter.
The teacher’s desk or the board may have an area of 1 m2. Organize the students into
small groups (about three students) and ask them to make a square meter using the
newspaper and equipment available.

2 If enough Base Ten flats are available (100), ask one group to build a square meter using
flats. (Note: A photocopiable version is also available of a flat; see pg. 70.) Ask another
group to build the square meter using paper flats pasted on to paper.
Most students will build a square that is 1 m long and 1 m wide and therefore has an area
of 1 m2. The group who built the one square meter using flats will most likely produce a
square that is 10 flats long and 10 flats wide. The group who created the square meter
out of paper flats should compare their square meter to the physical one made with flats
from the Base Ten set. They in turn can compare their square meter to the other square
meters that were produced.

3 Be prepared for some conflict to

arise if a group has produced a paper
rectangle with an area of 1 m2 rather
than a square meter.
1m 1 m2
If this conflict does not arise, take a pair
of scissors, and cut a paper square
meter in half. Join the two ends to
create a rectangle that is 200 cm long 1m
and 50 cm wide. Discuss the difference
between creating a square meter and
creating a figure with an area of 1 m2.
While the model of the square meter 50 cm 1 m2
made with flats is still together (or while
the paper version is still intact) ask the
students to guess how many square 200 cm
centimeters make up a square meter.
85
 D T E S One in a Million
Purpose
To gain a feeling for one
million.
To develop an
understanding of volume.

Background
Pose the question, “Would a million
A single Base Ten mini is minis fit in this room?” Hold up a mini for
10 mm x 10 mm x 10 mm or everyone to see. Hand out one for every
1 cm3. A long is 100 mm long student to examine. Ask the students to
and 10 mm high and wide. make a decision and write it down. Then
give them the opportunity to investigate
One hundred minis fit on a flat,
the problem.
which is 10 cm x 10 cm. A flat
has an area of 100 cm2.
A cube is made up of ten
layers of flats.
You will need to have an ample supply of Base Ten blocks, especially the 10 x 10 x 10
The cube is made up of 1000 cube.
minis 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm
and therefore has a volume of The students will try a variety of approaches to solving the problem. Here is one possibility.
1000 cm3. Once the students understand that a cube is made up of 1000 minis, they may begin to
reason that all you need are 1000 cubes to represent 1,000,000 (1000 x 1000) minis. While
you may not have 1000 cubes, most schools will have 40. These can be set out as sides of
a larger cube to give an overall impression of the amount of space (volume) that 1,000,000
Volume and capacity minis would occupy.
Students often confuse volume
and capacity. Volume is the
amount of space an object
occupies and as such is
measured in cubic centimeters
and cubic meters. The capacity
of a object refers to how much
it can hold and is measured in
mL, L and kL.
Most students have little
idea of how much space is
occupied by a cubic meter
and therefore experience
difficulty in trying to estimate
or visualize items—such as
sand—that are sold in cubic
meters. Most schools will not
have enough blocks to build
a cubic meter, but students
can build a skeletal model
using rolled up newspaper and
tape. The students will need students making a large
to make up 12 one-meter rolls
and then join them together to cube outline
produce a cubic meter.

This large 100 cm x 100 cm x 100 cm (1 m x 1 m x 1 m) cube would have a volume of

1,000,000 cm3, or 1 m3. In other words, it would take one million minis to fill this space.

86
 All Wrapped Up D T E S

Purpose
To develop an understanding
of surface area.
To gain a basic knowledge
of nets.
1 Introduce the lesson by telling the story of a new candy that has been produced in the
shape of a cube. The candy will be available in an individually wrapped form, a ten-pack,
the 100 family flat-pack and the mega 1000 party-pack. You have been given the design
brief to work out how much paper will be required to wrap each pack. To save on cost,
Some different nets that make
there should be minimal overlap.
up a cube.

single ten-pack 100 family flat-pack mega 1000 party-pack

2 The students will need access to paper, scissors and tape. Encourage students to explore
different possibilities and work out the amount of paper used (surface area). Given that the
area of each side of the single cube is 1 cm2, it should take 6 cm2 of paper plus a little extra
for joins and overlaps. The ten-pack has four sides, each 10 cm2 and two ends, each 1
cm2; therefore, it should take 42 cm2 of wrapping. The 100 family flat-pack has two sides
each of 100 cm2 and four sides each of 10 cm2, giving a total of 240 cm2. The mega 1000
party-pack is made up of six sides, each of 100 cm2; therefore the surface area is 600 cm2.

3 Some students may note that the
100 family flat-pack requires a great
deal of paper compared to the mega
1000. Just three of the 100 packs
would require more wrapping than
the mega 1000 party-pack. Some
groups of students may wish to
pursue this idea of economical forms
of packaging further.
4 Another problem to explore relates
to the way the single cube pack
and the mega 1000 party-pack may
be wrapped. It is likely that when
wrapping the cube, groups would
have used six squares of paper and
taped them together. Unwrapping the
cube will lead to the exploration of
nets (the flat 2-D shapes that may be
folded to produce a 3-D shape).

87
Key Standards CCSS Standard 1
Grade 2
Activity

Number and Operations in Base Ten (2.NBT)

Understand place value.
Expanding the Number Experience (p. 18)
Discovering Base Ten Blocks (p. 24)
Trading Games in Tens Land (p. 26)
Trading to 100 (p. 29)
2.NBT.A.1. Understand that the three digits of a
Base Ten Challenges (p. 32)
three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds,
Longs and Minis (p. 33)
tens, and ones.
Make My Number (p. 35)
Mix and Match – Base Ten (p. 37)
Renaming Numbers (p. 39)
Hundreds and Thousands (p. 41)
Before Introducing Base Ten Blocks
(p. 12)
2.NBT.A.2. Count within 1000; skip-count by 5s, 10s, 99 and Over (p. 13)
and 100s. Base Ten Challenges (p. 32)
Renaming Numbers (p. 39)
Hundreds and Thousands (p. 41)
Mix and Match (p. 19)
Longs and Minis (p. 33)
2.NBT.A.3. Read and write numbers to 1000 using Make My Number (p. 35)
base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. Mix and Match – Base Ten (p. 37)
Renaming Numbers (p. 39)
Hundreds and Thousands (p. 41)
2.NBT.A.4. Compare two three-digit numbers based
on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits,
Base Ten Challenges (p. 32)
using >, =, and < symbols to record the results of
comparisons.
Use place value understanding and properties of operations to add and subtract.
Count Down (p. 16)
2.NBT.B.5. Fluently add and subtract within 100 Adding with Regrouping (p. 60)
using strategies based on place value, properties of Subtraction (p. 61)
operations, and/or the relationship between addition Subtraction without Decomposition
and subtraction. (p. 64)
Subtraction with Decomposition (p. 65)
2.NBT.B.6. Add up to four two-digit numbers using Addition (p. 56)
strategies based on place value and properties of oper- Adding without Regrouping (p. 58)
ations. Adding with Regrouping (p. 60)
Breaking a Flat (p. 31)
Addition (p. 56)
2.NBT.B.7. Add and subtract within 1000, using con- Adding without Regrouping (p. 58)
crete models or drawings and strategies based on place Adding with Regrouping (p. 60)
value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship Subtraction (p. 61)
between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to Subtraction without Decomposition
a written method. (p. 64)
Subtraction with Decomposition (p. 65)
The Block Game (p. 75)

1
Standards for which there is no correlation to the activities in this book are not listed.

88
 Key Standards
CCSS Standard Activity
Grade 2 (cont.)
Measurement and Data (2.MD)
Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.
2.MD.A.1. Measure the length of an object by
selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, Comparing Lengths (p. 82)
yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
2.MD.A.2. Measure the length of an object twice,
using length units of different lengths for the two
Make a Meter (p. 84)
measurements; describe how the two measurements
relate to the size of the unit chosen.
2.MD.A.3. Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, Comparing Lengths (p. 82)
centimeters, and meters. Make a Meter (p. 84)
2.MD.A.4. Measure to determine how much longer
one object is than another, expressing the length Comparing Lengths (p. 82)
difference in terms of a standard length unit.
Grade 3
Operations and Algebraic Thinking (3.OA)
Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.
3.OA.A.1. Interpret products of whole numbers, e.g.,
interpret 5 × 7 as the total number of objects in 5 Multiplication – 2 (p. 68)
groups of 7 objects each.
3.OA.A.2. Interpret whole-number quotients of whole
numbers, e.g., interpret 56 ÷ 8 as the number of Sharing Time (p. 71)
objects in each share when 56 objects are partitioned Division (p. 72)
equally into 8 shares . . .
Number and Operations in Base Ten (3.NBT)
Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.
3.NBT.A.1. Use place value understanding to round
Checking Your Work (p. 74)
whole numbers to the nearest 10 or 100.
3.NBT.A.3. Multiply one-digit whole numbers by
Double and Split (p. 44)
multiples of 10 in the range 10–90 using strategies
Multiplication – 2 (p. 68)
based on place value and properties of operations.
Measurement and Data (3.MD)
Geometric measurement: understand concepts of area and relate area to multiplication and to
addition.
3.MD.C.5. Recognize area as an attribute of plane Discovering Base Ten Blocks (p. 24)Making
ÀJXUHVDQGXQGHUVWDQGFRQFHSWVRIDUHDPHDVXUHPHQW a Square Meter (p. 85)
3.MD.C.6. Measure area by counting unit squares
Discovering Base Ten Blocks (p. 24)
(square cm, square m, square in., square ft, and
Making a Square Meter (p. 85)
improvised units.

89
Key Standards CCSS Standard
Grade 4
Activity

Number and Operations in Base Ten (4.NBT)

Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers.
4.NBT.A.1. Recognize that in a multi-digit whole
Place Value – 1 (p. 47)
number, a digit in one place represents ten times what
Arrow Math (p. 49)
it represents in the place to its right.
4.NBT.A.2. Read and write multi-digit whole numbers
using base-ten numerals, number names, and expand-
Place Value – 1 (p. 47)
ed form. Compare two multi-digit numbers based on
Place Value – 2 (p. 48)
meanings of the digits in each place, using >, =, and <
symbols to record the results of comparisons.
4.NBT.A.2. Use place value understanding to round
multi-digit whole numbers to any place.
Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic.
4.NBT.B.3. Multiply a whole number of up to four
digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two
two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place val-
ue and the properties of operations.
4.NBT.B.5. Multiply a whole number of up to four
digits by a one-digit whole number, and multiply two Multiplication – 1 (p. 67)
two-digit numbers, using strategies based on place val- The Block Game (p. 75)
ue and the properties of operations.
4.NBT.B.6. Find whole number quotients and
remainders with up to four-digit dividends and one-
Sharing Time (p. 71)
digit divisors, using strategies based on place value,
Division (p. 72)
the properties of operations, and/or the relationship
between multiplication and division.
Number & Operations – Fractions (4.NF)
Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of
operations on whole numbers.
4.NF.B.3. Understand a fraction a/b with a > 1 as a
sum of fractions 1/b:
a. Understand addition and subtraction of fractions
as joining and separating parts referring to the same
whole.
Adding Tenths and Hundredths (p. 79)
d. Solve word problems Solve word problems
involving addition and subtraction of fractions
referring to the same whole and having like
denominators, e.g., by using visual fraction models
and equations to represent the problem.
Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions.
Decimal Fractions (p. 51)
4.NF.C.5. Express a fraction with denominator 10 as Trading with Decimal Fractions (p. 53)
an equivalent fraction with denominator 100. Decitrade (p. 55)
Percent (p. 76)
Decimal Fractions (p. 51)
4.NF.C.6. Use decimal notation for fractions with de- Trading with Decimal Fractions (p. 53)
nominators 10 or 100. Decitrade (p. 55)
Percent (p. 76)

90
 Key Standards
CCSS Standard Activity
Grade 4 (cont.)
4.NF.C.7. Compare two decimals to hundredths by
reasoning about their size. Recognize that comparisons
Notes
Trading with Decimal Fractions (p. 53)
Decitrade (p. 55)
are valid only when the two decimals refer to the same
Percent (p. 76)
whole.
Measurement and Data (4.MD)
Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a
smaller unit.
4.MD.A.1. Know relative sizes of measurement units
within one system of units including km, m, cm; kg,
g; lb, oz.; l, ml; hr, min, sec. Within a single system of One in a Million (p. 86)
measurement, express measurements in a larger unit in
terms of a smaller unit.
4.MD.A.2. Use the four operations to solve word
problems involving distances, intervals of time, liquid
volumes, masses of objects, and money, including
One in a Million (p. 86)
problems involving simple fractions or decimals, and
problems that require expressing measurements given
in a larger unit in terms of a smaller unit.
Grade 6
Geometry (6.G)
Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume.
*$5HSUHVHQWWKUHHGLPHQVLRQDOÀJXUHVXVLQJ
nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use nets All Wrapped Up (p. 87)
WRÀQGWKHVXUIDFHDUHDRIWKHVHÀJXUHV

91
Glossary Algorithm – A set routine, method, or procedure; for example, you may follow a set
method for tying your shoelaces. In the context of this book, we are
referring to set routines for calculating, whether written or mental.

Base Ten – The name of the number system we use. It is called Base Ten because
whenever we have ten or more objects, they are renamed to make one
group of the next larger place value. The digits 0,1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
are combined via the use of place value to form any number.

Base Ten blocks

trading board – Throughout this book, several different boards are referred to. A
distinction has been made between trading boards and Base Ten blocks
trading boards. These are basically boards divided into two or three
columns but with slightly different headings. As the name suggests, the
Base Ten blocks trading board shows the Base Ten blocks at the top of
the column; whereas the trading boards show Hundreds, Tens, Ones.

Estimation – A computation choice in its own right or a method for calculating an

approximate result. In the context of this book, estimation embraces a
variety of methods used to calculate a rough answer to a computation so
that a comparison can be made for checking purposes.

Informal written
methods – A written method, other than the standard method for performing a
calculation. Sometimes devised solely by the student and at other times
with the assistance of peers or teachers. Over time, the informal method
could become the non-standard written method the student regularly
chooses to use.

Operations board – Similar to the other trading boards but divided horizontally to differentiate
between the working space and the place for showing the answer.

Place value – The position of a digit represents the value of the digit. For example,
in the number 374, the seven represents 7 tens or 70. As the digits are
moved to their left, their value increases by an appropriate power of ten
(depending on the number of places moved).

Place value
chart/mat – A board made up of two or three columns, designed to help students
manage their Base Ten blocks.

Standard written
algorithm – Some educational authorities specify a written method to be used; for
example, the decomposition method of subtraction.

We would like to thank Linda Marshall for her assistance.

Over the years, we have been inspired to use these materials by

educationalists such as Mary Baratta Lorton, Pamela Leibeck and
Kathy Richardson.

92