Activity 01
Ten-Frame Build: Making Teens
Provide ten-frames, counters, and numeral cards 11-20. Students fill the frame with 10 counters first, then add ones to make numbers like 13. They write the number and read it aloud to a partner. Switch roles after five numbers.
How are numbers 11 to 20 made up of a ten and some ones?
Facilitation TipDuring Ten-Frame Build, circulate and ask each pair to explain how they know their teen number is made of a ten and some ones.
What to look forPresent students with a ten-frame filled with 10 counters and a few additional counters. Ask: 'How many counters are there in total?' Then, ask them to write the number and the number word.
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Activity 02
Number Line Hop: Comparing Numbers
Mark a floor number line from 10 to 20 with tape. Call out two numbers, like 14 and 17; pairs hop to them and decide which is greater, using gestures to show more or less. Record comparisons on mini-whiteboards.
How do we read and write numbers from eleven to twenty?
Facilitation TipDuring Number Line Hop, position yourself at the center to observe students' placement and encourage verbal comparisons like '15 is closer to 10 than 20'.
What to look forGive each student a card showing two groups of objects, one group totaling between 11 and 20. Ask them to circle the larger group and write a sentence explaining why it is larger, using terms like 'more' or 'less'.
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Activity 03
Straw Bundles: Grouping Tens
Give students straws or sticks and rubber bands. Direct them to make bundles of ten for numbers 11-20, then compare bundles side by side. Discuss how 15 has one full ten and five ones.
How can we compare numbers greater than 10?
Facilitation TipDuring Straw Bundles, model bundling with slow, deliberate motions so students mimic the precision needed for accurate grouping.
What to look forShow students two different arrangements of counters, one representing 13 and another representing 17. Ask: 'How do you know 17 is greater than 13? Use the ten-frames to help explain your thinking.'
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Activity 04
Teen Number Hunt: Classroom Scavenger
Hide cards with teen numbers and objects around the room. In small groups, students find matches, count the objects to verify, and line up cards in order from 11 to 20 on the board.
How are numbers 11 to 20 made up of a ten and some ones?
Facilitation TipDuring Teen Number Hunt, provide clipboards with mini ten-frames for students to record each found number in both numeral and word form.
What to look forPresent students with a ten-frame filled with 10 counters and a few additional counters. Ask: 'How many counters are there in total?' Then, ask them to write the number and the number word.
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Generate Complete Lesson→A few notes on teaching this unit
Start with concrete materials like ten-frames and straws to build the concept of a ten as a unit. Move to representational tools like number lines and numeral cards only after students demonstrate understanding through manipulation. Avoid rushing to symbols; let students verbalize the structure first. Research shows that delaying symbolic notation until conceptual understanding is secure reduces reversal errors and strengthens place value foundations.
Students will confidently compose numbers 11 to 20 as a ten and some ones, accurately read and write numerals and number words, and compare quantities using comparison terms. They will explain their reasoning using ten-frames, number lines, or bundled items.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
During Ten-Frame Build, watch for students who fill ten-frames one counter at a time without recognizing the completed ten as a unit.
Prompt students to fill the ten-frame completely before adding extras, and ask, 'How many counters are in the full ten-frame? How many extras are there?' to reinforce the structure.
During Teen Number Hunt, watch for students who reverse the digits when reading or writing teen numbers.
Have students pair each found numeral with its ten-frame model and word card during the hunt, saying the number aloud while touching each component.
During Number Line Hop, watch for students who count all objects from 0 to compare numbers instead of using the number line as a visual tool.
Remind students to start at the smaller number and count forward to the larger one, using the ten-frames to confirm the difference in quantities.
Methods used in this brief