Tens and Units

Active learning helps students build a concrete understanding of tens and units by allowing them to manipulate objects and visualize number composition. When students physically group items into tens and ones, they develop a stronger sense of place value than through abstract explanations alone. This hands-on engagement solidifies foundational number sense.

• 1st Class
• Foundations of Mathematical Thinking
• 3 activities
• 15 min–20 min

Stations Rotation

⏱ 20 min·Pairs

Tens and Units Tower Building

Provide students with bundles of ten craft sticks and individual craft sticks. Ask them to build towers representing given numbers, such as 23 (two bundles of ten and three individual sticks). They can then count their towers to check.

Prepare & details

What does the tens digit tell us about a number?

Facilitation Tip: During the Stations Rotation, ensure students have clear instructions at each station and monitor their progress, offering targeted support as they build towers, play the card game, and jump on the number line.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Stations Rotation

⏱ 15 min·Small Groups

Place Value Card Game

Create two sets of cards: one with numbers (e.g., 10, 20, 30) and another with quantities (e.g., 1, 2, 3). Students draw a number card and then select the correct quantity cards to represent the tens, then add individual unit cards to form a target number.

Prepare & details

How many tens and units are in numbers like 23 or 47?

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, allow ample quiet time for individual reflection before students begin discussing their strategies for building tens and units towers.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Stations Rotation

⏱ 15 min·Whole Class

Number Line Jump

Use a large number line marked in tens. Students start at zero and 'jump' by tens, then add individual unit jumps to reach a target number. This visually reinforces the concept of tens as jumps of ten.

Prepare & details

Can you make a number using bundles of tens and single units?

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share, prompt students to explain to their partner how the placement of a number card affects its value in the Place Value Card Game.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Teaching This Topic

Approach teaching tens and units by prioritizing concrete representations before moving to abstract symbols. Use physical manipulatives like base-ten blocks or craft stick bundles to model how numbers are composed of groups of ten and individual units. Avoid rote memorization; instead, focus on developing conceptual understanding through activities that encourage decomposition and recomposition of numbers.

What to Expect

Students will be able to accurately represent numbers using a given quantity of tens and units, and articulate how they know the value of each digit. Successful learners can decompose numbers into tens and units and compose numbers from given tens and units, demonstrating an understanding of place value.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Tens and Units Tower Building, watch for students who consistently use individual sticks when they should be forming a 'ten' bundle, indicating they are not yet connecting the quantity of ten to a single unit of representation.

What to Teach Instead

Redirect by asking students to count their individual sticks and then ask, 'How many groups of ten can we make?' Guide them to exchange ten individual sticks for one bundle of ten.

Common Misconception

During Place Value Card Game, observe if students treat number cards like '10' and '1' as having equal weight, failing to recognize that '10' represents a full group of ten.

What to Teach Instead

When a student incorrectly places a '10' card, ask them to show you what '10' looks like using the craft stick bundles. Then, ask them to compare that to what the '1' card represents.

Common Misconception

During Number Line Jump, notice if students jump by ones instead of tens, or if they add the individual units before making their 'tens' jumps.

What to Teach Instead

Prompt students to first identify the 'tens' number on the number line closest to their target number, and make that 'jump' using a tens bundle. Then, guide them to add the remaining units.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

During Tens and Units Tower Building, observe students as they construct towers. Ask individual students to explain how they know their tower represents a specific number, checking for accurate use of bundles and individual sticks.

Peer Assessment

During Place Value Card Game, have students explain to their partner why a particular number card (e.g., 30) represents a certain value, encouraging them to use tens and units language.

Exit Ticket

After Number Line Jump, provide students with a small number line and ask them to draw the jumps for a given number (e.g., 42), showing jumps of tens and then individual units.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Have students create numbers using more than 10 units, then guide them to 'regroup' 10 units into a new ten.
• Scaffolding: Provide pre-made bundles of ten sticks for students who struggle with bundling, focusing their attention on combining tens and ones.
• Deeper Exploration: Ask students to find different ways to represent the same number using various combinations of tens and units (e.g., 34 as 3 tens and 4 ones, or 2 tens and 14 ones).