Grade 1: Make 10

Deal out 4 rows of 5 Primary Number Cards. Players take turns finding two cards that make 10. Play until there are no combinations of 10 left. Full directions and variations here; you can also play online.

“I looked at the first card and it’s 2. To make 10 I need…3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 (raising a finger for each number), I need (looking at raised fingers) 8.”

“I just know that 5+5=10, so I start by looking for 5’s.”

Try More

• Deal the cards face down, making this a memory game.
• Play Tens Go Fish. Deal 5 cards to each player. Find and put down the pairs you have that make 10. Players take turns asking each other for a card that, with a card in their hand, will make 10.

(CCSS: 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.C.6)

Grade 3: Close to 100

Each player turns over 6 Digit Cards and chooses 4 to make two numbers that when added together total as close to 100 as possible. Full directions and recording sheet here; you can also play online.

Encourage players to explain how they decided which cards to choose. For example, a player might say:

“I know 70 + 10 is 80 and I thought that would get me pretty close to 100.  I needed 20 more to get to 100.  I know that 6 + 9 is 15 which is as close as I can get.”

(CCSS: 3.OA.D.9)

Grade 5: Close to 1

Turn over 5 Decimal Cards. Each player chooses any number of cards that, added together, will total as close to 1 as possible. Full directions, variations and recording sheet are here. You can also play online.

Encourage players to explain how they decided what cards to choose. For example:

“I chose 0.65 and 0.375 because I wanted to make 9 in the tenths place. I knew then the numbers in hundredths and thousandths added together would get me close to or a little over 1.”

Resources
MWI: Adding Decimals

(CCSS: 5.NBT.B.7)

Grade 1 

Follow the steps above with an image of a 2-D shape. Draw the image on a piece of paper. For example:

Discuss how you knew what to draw. For example, here are different ways students thought about this image:

• I saw a box with an A on it.
• I counted 1, 2, 3, 4 sides.
• It’s a square. It’s hard to draw same sides!

Try More

• Here are videos you can use to do two Quick Images: Video 1, Video 2.
• If you’d rather work offline, print or sketch these images. Cover the image after each viewing.
• Try presenting a few, related images, one after the other. Discuss how the shapes are similar and different. For example: Shapes A, I, and K.
• Present images that provide an opportunity to talk about equal parts of a whole (e.g. half, in half, one half, halves, half of). Again, you can consider sets of related shapes such as 1, 2, and 3. (See MWI: Equal Parts of a Whole)

Resources
MWI: Naming and Describing 2-D Shapes

(CCSS: 1.G.A.1, 1.G.A.2)

Grade 3

Follow the steps above with one of the 2-D images. Draw the image on paper. For example, use this image:

How did you remember the parts of the image? What did you notice about the relationship among the parts? What helped you remember the whole image so you could draw it?

Here are different ways students might think about this image:

• I saw there were 3 rows. It goes 1 square, 2 squares, 3 squares.   
• It’s like a pyramid or stairs — there are 3 squares in the bottom, 2 squares on top of that and one square on top of that.
• There are 6 squares. They are piled like bricks with the squares on top halfway between the squares below them. 

Try More

• Here are videos you can use to do two Quick Images: Video 1, Video 2.
• If you’d rather work offline, print these images. Cover the image after each viewing.

(CCSS: 3.G.A.1)

Grade 5

Follow the steps above with one of the 2-D images. Draw the image on paper. For example, use this image: 

How did you remember the parts of the image? The whole image?
What types of [triangles/quadrilaterals] do you see in this image?  How do you know what kind of [triangles, quadrilaterals] they are? 

Here are different ways students might think about this image: 

• I see a 3 by 2 array—3 squares on top of 3 squares. I know they are squares because they have 4 right angles and 4 equal sides. The 4 outside squares are cut into 2 isosceles triangles. I think they are isosceles because I think 2 of the sides are equal. 
• There are two big right triangles and a rectangle in between them. There is a line going through the middle of those shapes. Around the outside are 4 smaller right triangles. All the shapes together make a big rectangle. I know the triangles are right triangles because they all have right angles.    

Try More 

• Here are videos you can use to do two Quick Images: Video 1, Video 2. 
• If you’d rather work offline, print these images. Cover the image after each viewing.

Resources 
MWI: Properties of Triangles
MWI: Properties of Quadrilaterals

(CCSS: 5.G.B.3, 5.G.B.4)

Grade 1: Dot Addition

Today’s Number is 12. Use Dot Addition Cards to find ways to make 12. Record the ways you find. For example:

How do you know this equals 12? What do you know about 12 that helped you decide what numbers to use?

Try More

• Try to use one solution to find another. (I see you have 5+5+2. Can you use what you know about 5 to make another way?)
• How many different ways can you find to make 12 with Dot Addition Cards? (Do you think you found all the ways? How do you know? … Is 5+5+2 and 5+2+5 the same or different? Why do you think so?)
• Find ways to make 12 that use any numbers. You can use addition and/or subtraction.

Resources

Online Games: Dot Addition (U3), Dot Addition (U5)

MWI: Today’s Number

(CCSS: 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.C.6)

Grade 3: Today’s Number

Today’s Number is 276. Find ways to make 276 using multiplication and addition. For example:

How do you know this one equals 276?
What do you know about 276 that helped you decide what numbers to use?

Try More

• Repeat but use multiples of 100 and subtraction. E.g., for 276: 300 – 20– 4 = 276
• Repeat but use a combination of 100 in each expression. E.g. for 276: 60 + 40 + 70 + 30 + 76 = 276
• Repeat but use addition, subtraction, or both. E.g., for 276: 150 + 150 – 50 + 26 = 276
• Repeat the activity with another number between 100-1,000.

(CCSS: 3.OA.C.7, 3.NBT.A.2)

Grade 5

Today’s Number is 1. Find 5 ways to make 1 using fractions and only using addition.  Do not use a denominator more than once in an equation.  For example:

How do you know these expressions equal 1? How did you decide which fractions to use?

Try More

• Use the same constraints but with a different whole number (e.g. 5), a fraction (e.g. 1/2) or a mixed number (e.g. 2 1/2) as Today’s Number.
• Instead of using only addition, use only subtraction. Or, use both addition and For example: Create 5 expressions that equal 2 1/2 using only subtraction in each expression. Do not use a denominator more than once. E.g.: 2 3/4 – 2/8= 2 1/2 and 3 10/12 ­­– 1/2 ­– 2/3 – 1/6 = 2 1/2.

(CCSS: 5.NF.A.1)

Grade 1: Double Compare 

Each player turns over 2 Primary Number Cards (without Wild Cards, or 2 playing cards without the face cards). Players decide who has more. Full directions and variations here; you can also play online.

Players explain how they know who has more. (Some will count or add to find and compare the totals. Others may not find the total but reason about the numbers.) For example: 

• “They both have a 4, but Player 2 has an 8, and 8 is more than 7, so Player 2 has more.”
• “Player 1 has 11 and Player 2 has 12. Player 2 has more.”

Try More 

• Play Double Compare Dots with Dot Cards Set A or online or with Dot Cards Set B. (Print 4 copies and cut apart to make a deck.) 

(CCSS: 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.C.5, 1.OA.C.6) 

Grade 3: Multiplication Compare

Each player turns over 2 Digit Cards. The players decide who has the greater product. There are full directions here. This game can also be played online.

Encourage the players­­­­­ to explain how they know which product is greater. Some will multiply to find and compare the products. Others may not find the product but reason about the numbers. For example:

• “I know 7 x 5 is 35. 6 x 8 is a hard one for me! But I know 5 x 8 is 40 and 6 x 8 is one more 8. So, 6 x 8 is 48 and 48 is bigger than 35.”
• “8 is bigger than 7 and we’re multiplying 8 by a bigger number than we are multiplying 7 by. So, 7 x 5 must be smaller than 6 x 8.”

(CCSS: 3.OA.C.7)

Grade 5: Addition Compare with Fractions 

Each player turns over 2 Fraction Cards. The players decide who has the greater total. There are full directions here. This game can also be played online.  

Encourage the players to explain how they know who has the greater total. Some will add to find and compare the totals. Others may not find the total but reason about the numbers. For example: 

• “I thought about the 6/8 compared to 9/8 + 1/8.  9/8 + 1/8  is 4/8 bigger than 6/8. So, in order for  5/6 + 6/8  to be bigger, 5/6 has to be bigger than 4/8. And it is!”
• “9/8 + 1/8 is easy to add. It’s 10/8. 5/6 + 6/8 is harder. I know that 6/8 is 3/4 and both sixths and fourths are related to twelfths. 5/6 is equivalent to 10/12, and 3/4 is equivalent to 9/12. So added together, they are 19/12. Hmm, it’s hard to compare twelfths and eighths, but maybe I can compare them to landmark numbers. 10/8 is 1 2/8. 19/12 is 1 7/12. 1 2/8 is less than 1 1/2, and 1 7/12 is more than 1 1/2. Player 2’s sum is bigger than Player 1’s.” 

Try More 

• Play Decimal Double Compare using Decimal Cards or online. The directions are the same as above except with decimal cards.  
• Play Division Compare using Compare Cards or online. See directions here.  

(CCSS: 5.NF.A.1, 5.NBT.A.3.B, 5.NBT.B.6) 

Grade 1 

You’re going to see some Ten Frames with dots, for a short time. As you look, think about how many dots you see and how you know. You will have a chance to look again! Follow these steps: 

• Look at the image for about 5 seconds. 
• Think about how many dots you see and how you know. 
• Look at the image for another 5 seconds.  
• Check your work. Do you want to change your thinking? 
• Leave the image showing. Discuss how you saw and remembered the image. … Is there another way to see it? 

For example, here are three different ways students saw one image: 

Try More

• Here are videos you can use to do two Quick Images: Image 1, Image 2.
• If you’d rather work offline, print or sketch these images on cards and shuffle them. Flip a card and then follow the directions above, turning the card face down after the 5 seconds is up each time. (Or, use these images and turn over 3 cards at a time, using two that make a combination of 10.) 

Resources
MWI: Combinations of 10

(CCSS: 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.C.6) 

Grade 3

You’re going to see an image of dots for about 3 seconds. As you look it, think about how many dots and how you know. You will have a chance to look again! Follow these steps: 

• Look at the image for 3 seconds.  
• How many dots did you see? You may want to write down some numbers or equations. 
• Look at the image for 3 more seconds. 
• Write an equation that includes multiplication that shows how you saw the image.  
• Leave the image showing. Check your equation. Does it match the image? Can you write a different equation that also matches the image? 

For example, here are some equations students wrote for one image: 

Try More

• Here are videos you can use to do two Quick Images: Image 1,  Image 2.
• Or, if you want to do the activity offline, print out these images and cut them into cards. Then, follow the directions above, turning the card face down after the 3 seconds is up each time. 

(CCSS: 3.OA.C.7) 

Grade 5

You’re going to see an image of dots for about 3 seconds. As you look it, think about how many dots and how you know. You will have a chance to look again! Follow these steps: 

• Look at the image for 3 seconds.  
• How many dots did you see? You may want to write down some numbers or equations. 
• Look at the image for 3 more seconds. 
• Write an equation that includes multiplication that shows how you saw the image.  
• Leave the image showing. Check your equation. Does it match the image? Can you write a different equation that also matches the image? 

For example, here are some equations students wrote for one image: 

Try More

• Here are videos you can use to do two Quick Images: Image 1, Image 2. 
• Or, if you want to do the activity offline, print out these images and cut them into cards. Then, follow the directions above, turning the card face down after the 3 seconds is up each time. 

(CCSS: 5.NBT.B.5) 

Grade 1 

Today’s Number is 9. Find some ways to make 9. Show the ways you found. For example:

How do you know this one equals 9?

What do you know about 9 that helped you decide what numbers to use?

Try More

• Find ways with more than 2 addends or ways that use subtraction.
• “You found lots of ways with 2 addends. Do you think you found all of the ways that use 2 addends? How do you know?”
• Repeat the activity with another number between 0-20.

Resources
Math Words and Ideas: Today’s Number

(CCSS-M: 1.OA.B.3, 1.OA.C.6)

Grade 3

Today’s Number is 198. Find some ways to make 198 using at least 3 numbers and both addition and subtraction. Record the ways you find. For example:

How did you know this one equals 198?
What do you know about 198 that helped you decide what numbers to use? 

Try More

• Repeat the activity with another number between 100-1,000.
• Repeat the activity using at least one combination that adds to 100. For example: 60 + 40 + 100 – 2 = 198.

(CCSS-M: 3.NBT.A.2)

Grade 5

Today’s Number is 648. Find 10 ways to make 648 using only multiplication and addition. For example:

How do you know these expressions equal 648?
What do you know about 648 or what do you know about multiplication and addition that helped you decide what numbers to use?

Try More

• Use the same constraint with a different number between 500 and 5,000.
• Use a different constraint, for example:
  • Create 10 expressions that equal 3,300, using multiplication and no more than 2 factors. E.g., 1650 x 2 and 50 x 66. (Some other numbers to use: 800, 5,600, and 4,824. Can you find more?)
  • Create 10 expressions that equal 1,800, using multiplication. Each expression must have 3 factors, and none of the factors can be 1. E.g., 3 x 20 x 30 and 6 x 20 x15. (Some other numbers to use: 720, 3,300, and 900. Can you find more?)

(CCSS-M: 5.NBT.B.5)