Mathematics · Primary 1

Active learning ideas

Numbers to 100: Tens and Ones

Active learning works for this topic because children need to see, touch, and move physical representations of tens and ones to build mental images of place value. When students group, trade, and count with their hands, they connect abstract symbols to concrete quantities, which research shows strengthens long-term understanding.

• MOE Syllabus Outcomes
• MOE: N(iv).1
• MOE: N(iv).2

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Experiential Learning
• 30 min · Pairs

Block Build: Tens and Ones Representation

Provide base-ten blocks to pairs. Call out numbers from 11 to 99; students build each with tens rods and ones cubes, then state the tens and ones aloud. Partners verify and record on mini-whiteboards before trading roles.

How many ones make one ten?

Facilitation Tip

During Block Build, circulate and ask pairs to explain why they exchanged 10 ones for 1 ten, reinforcing the exchange concept through verbal reasoning.

What to look for

Give students a card with a two-digit number, such as 42. Ask them to draw base-ten blocks to represent the number and write a sentence explaining how many tens and how many ones are in 42.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Experiential Learning
• 25 min · Small Groups

Tens Relay Race: Counting in Tens

Divide class into small groups and set up number lines on the floor. First student in line jumps 10 units forward saying the number, tags next student who continues from there to 100. Groups race while practicing skip-counting.

How do we use tens and ones to describe a two-digit number?

Facilitation Tip

For Tens Relay Race, stand at the finish line to time each team and prompt students to say the tens number out loud as they land, linking movement to number words.

What to look for

Hold up a collection of base-ten rods and unit cubes. Ask students to identify the total number represented. Then, ask: 'How many ones would you need to trade to make another ten?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 03

• Experiential Learning
• 35 min · Individual

Straw Bundling: Grouping Ones into Tens

Give students straws or popsicle sticks individually. They bundle 10 into a ten, then create target numbers like 47 with bundles and singles. Share and compare bundles with the class.

How does understanding tens and ones help us count bigger numbers?

Facilitation Tip

When setting up Straw Bundling, model bundling 10 straws with a strong knot, then count the bundles aloud to emphasize the unitizing of tens.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you have 73 counters. How could you group them to count them faster? Explain your strategy using the words 'tens' and 'ones'.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Experiential Learning
• 20 min · Whole Class

Place Value Charts: Whole Class Matching

Project a large place value chart. Students hold tens and ones cards; teacher says a number, students place cards correctly on their desks first, then justify as a class.

How many ones make one ten?

Facilitation Tip

Before Place Value Charts, demonstrate sorting a handful of counters into the correct columns while thinking aloud about why each counter belongs in that place.

What to look for

Give students a card with a two-digit number, such as 42. Ask them to draw base-ten blocks to represent the number and write a sentence explaining how many tens and how many ones are in 42.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Self-Management
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with concrete manipulatives to build a solid foundation, then move to pictorial representations like drawings or charts before introducing abstract symbols. Avoid rushing to written numbers; give students time to internalize the concept through repeated hands-on experiences. Research suggests that children who struggle benefit from verbalizing their grouping strategies as they work, which clarifies their thinking and reveals misconceptions early.

Students will confidently explain that 10 ones make 1 ten, build two-digit numbers correctly with base-ten blocks, and count forward or backward in tens to 100. They will use the words 'tens' and 'ones' accurately when describing numbers and grouping quantities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Block Build, watch for students who count all the blocks as ones without grouping them into tens.

  Ask the pair to recount the ones, and then physically group 10 ones together. Have them trade the group for a ten rod, and ask, 'Now how many tens and how many ones do you have? Explain your thinking to your partner.'

• During Tens Relay Race, watch for students who start counting from 1 instead of counting by tens (e.g., 1, 2, 3 instead of 10, 20, 30).

  Stand beside the number line and model starting at 10, then point to each jump while counting aloud with the student. Ask, 'What number will you land on next? How do you know?'

• During Place Value Charts, watch for students who place counters in the wrong column without realizing the value of each place.

  Hold up a counter and ask, 'If this counter is in the ones column, what does it represent? What if it moves to the tens column?' Have the student physically move a counter between columns while explaining the change in value.

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Methods used in this brief

• Experiential Learning