Activity 01
Pairs: Strategy Showdown
Pairs receive addition problem cards. Each partner solves one using jump and the other using split or compensation, then they compare methods and justify the faster choice. Switch roles for three rounds and record reflections.
Justify why you would choose a compensation strategy over a split strategy for a specific problem.
Facilitation TipDuring Strategy Showdown, circulate and listen for students naming the place-value jump they are about to make before they write it down.
What to look forPresent students with the problem 47 + 35. Ask them to solve it using two different flexible strategies and write down the steps for each. Then, ask them to explain which strategy they found easier and why.
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Activity 02
Small Groups: Number Line Jumps
Groups draw number lines on large paper. They solve five multi-digit problems by marking jumps in tens or hundreds, labeling strategies used. Discuss as a group which problems suited jumps best and share with class.
Explain how breaking a number apart makes it easier to manage in your head.
What to look forPose the question: 'When would you use the split strategy instead of the jump strategy to add 58 + 23?' Facilitate a class discussion where students share their reasoning, focusing on how the numbers' values influence strategy choice.
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Activity 03
Whole Class: Strategy Sort Relay
Divide class into teams. Display problems on board; teams race to sort them into 'best for jump,' 'split,' or 'compensation' categories, justifying choices aloud. Review as whole class with student examples.
Analyze when the order of numbers in an addition problem changes the difficulty of the calculation.
What to look forWrite the problem 62 + 29 on the board. Ask students to show fingers to indicate which strategy they would use (1 for jump, 2 for split, 3 for compensation). Then, have them solve it mentally and write their answer. Quickly scan responses to gauge understanding.
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Activity 04
Individual: Strategy Choice Journal
Students select five problems, solve each with a chosen strategy, and write why it worked best. Include sketches of jumps or splits. Share one entry with a partner for feedback.
Justify why you would choose a compensation strategy over a split strategy for a specific problem.
What to look forPresent students with the problem 47 + 35. Ask them to solve it using two different flexible strategies and write down the steps for each. Then, ask them to explain which strategy they found easier and why.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Teach each strategy in a focused mini-lesson before mixing them in practice. Use think-alouds to model decision-making, especially when students confuse compensation with changing the sum. Avoid teaching all three at once; mastery grows when students internalize one method before layering others. Research shows frequent partner talk during practice cements understanding faster than worksheets.
Students will confidently choose and apply two or more strategies to solve multi-digit addition mentally. They will explain their steps, justify their choices, and recognize when one method is more efficient than another. Discussions will show flexible thinking, not rigid rule-following.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Strategy Sort Relay, watch for students who default to adding ones first even when the numbers suggest a jump starting with tens.
Pause the relay and have students physically jump on a classroom number line from the larger number, emphasizing the first jump is always to the nearest ten or hundred.
During Pairs Strategy Showdown, listen for students who think compensation changes the total answer because they ‘lost’ two when subtracting after rounding.
Have partners use base-10 blocks to model 28 + 32 as 30 + 30, then remove the two extra ones to see the sum remains 60.
During Number Line Jumps, students may claim these strategies only work for numbers under 100.
Guide pairs to try larger numbers like 145 + 267, splitting the jump into hundreds, tens, and ones to prove scalability.
Methods used in this brief