Mathematics · 1st Class

Active learning ideas

Showing Numbers in Different Ways

Active learning works especially well for this topic because students need to physically interact with the hundred square to internalize the relationship between tens and ones. Movement and collaboration help turn abstract connections into concrete understanding, making patterns visible in real time rather than memorized from a static chart.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Junior Cycle - Strand 3: Number - N.1.1
• NCCA: Junior Cycle - Strand 3: Number - N.1.2

• 15–25 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 25 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Hundred Square Detectives

Give small groups a hundred square with several numbers missing or 'stolen' by a character. Students must use the surrounding numbers to deduce what is missing and explain the rule they used (e.g., 'I looked at the number above and added ten').

What are different ways you can show a number, such as with objects, drawings, or words?

Facilitation Tip

During Hundred Square Detectives, assign clear roles so every student participates in the investigation, such as 'reader,' 'pointer,' and 'recorder.'

What to look for

Give each student a card with a number (e.g., 12). Ask them to draw a picture showing that many objects, write the number in word form, and place the number on a small number line segment from 10 to 20.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 20 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: Human Number Grid

Create a large grid on the floor using masking tape. Students act as 'numbers' and move according to instructions like 'add ten' (jump forward one row) or 'subtract one' (step left). This physical movement helps internalize the grid's logic.

How can you show the number 15 using pictures and on a number line?

Facilitation Tip

In the Human Number Grid, stand back and observe which students naturally lead others, then gently guide those who hesitate to take steps forward.

What to look for

Display a collection of 8 counters on the board. Ask students to hold up fingers to show the numeral for that quantity. Then, ask them to write the word form on a mini-whiteboard.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Pattern Hunters

Ask students to find all the numbers that end in '5' on the square. They color them in, discuss with a partner what they notice about the shape they made (a vertical line), and share why they think that pattern happens.

Can you match a group of objects to the correct number?

Facilitation Tip

For Pattern Hunters, pause after the pair discussion to ask one student to explain their partner’s idea before sharing their own.

What to look for

Present two different representations of the same number, one with objects and one with a drawing. Ask students: 'How are these the same? How are they different? Which way do you prefer for showing the number 10 and why?'

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should model the grid’s structure by walking through it themselves while narrating each move aloud. Avoid rushing through transitions; pause at the end of each row to emphasize the jump back to the next ten. Research shows that pausing to ask, 'What changed here?' after moving down or across strengthens pattern recognition. Keep language consistent: always say 'ten more' for a downward move and 'one more' for a rightward move.

By the end of these activities, students should confidently explain how to move from one number to another on the hundred square, describe the value of each step, and represent the same number in multiple ways. They should also begin to verbalize the rules of the number system as they move through the grid.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Hundred Square Detectives, watch for students who move down the grid one square at a time instead of counting ten at once. Redirect by having them trace a full row with their finger while saying, 'One row down means ten more.'

  During Human Number Grid, notice students who count each step downward as one. Stop the activity and ask the student to stand on the starting number, take one big step down, and count aloud how many squares they passed.

• During Hundred Square Detectives, watch for students who assume 20 is followed by 21 without noticing the row break. Ask them to roll the hundred square into a cylinder and point to where 10 connects to 11.

  During Human Number Grid, if a student hesitates after 19 or 29, have them step onto the next square and say the number aloud while the class echoes, reinforcing the pattern of returning to the next ten.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share