Lesson Plan
Count It Up: Base Ten!
Students will be able to identify, represent, and count numbers up to 1,000 using base ten blocks, understanding the value of hundreds, tens, and ones.
Understanding base ten is fundamental to all future math concepts. This lesson builds a strong foundation in place value, which is essential for addition, subtraction, and larger number comprehension.
Audience
2nd Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Hands-on activity and visual aids.
Materials
Base Ten Blocks (physical or virtual), Slide Deck: Count It Up!, Worksheet: Building Big Numbers, and Answer Key: Building Big Numbers
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Slide Deck: Count It Up! and familiarize yourself with the content.
- Print copies of the Worksheet: Building Big Numbers for each student.
- Gather enough physical base ten blocks for students to work individually or in small groups (hundreds flats, tens rods, ones cubes). Alternatively, prepare a link to a virtual base ten block manipulative.
- Review the Answer Key: Building Big Numbers.
Step 1
Introduction & Warm-Up
5 minutes
- Teacher: "Good morning, mathematicians! Today, we're going on an adventure to build some really big numbers using our super cool base ten blocks! Who remembers what a 'one' block looks like? How about a 'ten' rod?"
- Display Slide 1: Count It Up! and use it to kick off the lesson.
- Briefly review ones, tens, and hundreds using physical blocks or a virtual manipulative. Ask students to show you different values (e.g., "Show me 3 ones," "Show me 2 tens").
Step 2
Building Hundreds, Tens, Ones
10 minutes
- Teacher: "Now, let's see how we can put these blocks together to make even bigger numbers. What number do you think we make if we have one hundred block, two ten rods, and three one blocks?"
- Guide students through building numbers shown on Slide Deck: Count It Up! (e.g., 123, 205, 340). Have them build along with you using their blocks.
- Emphasize the place value of each digit as you build (e.g., "The '1' in 123 means one hundred, the '2' means two tens, and the '3' means three ones.").
Step 3
Practice Activity: Building Big Numbers
10 minutes
- Teacher: "You're all becoming master builders! Now it's your turn to show me what you can build. I'm going to give you a worksheet, and I want you to draw or write how you would build each number using our base ten blocks."
- Distribute the Worksheet: Building Big Numbers.
- Students complete the worksheet, drawing or describing the base ten blocks needed for each number. Circulate to provide support and answer questions.
Step 4
Wrap-Up & Share
5 minutes
- Teacher: "Time to share our amazing creations! Can a few volunteers tell us how they built one of the numbers from their worksheet?"
- Invite a few students to share their work and explain their reasoning.
- Collect the Worksheet: Building Big Numbers for review. Quickly review answers using the Answer Key: Building Big Numbers.
- Teacher: "Excellent work today, everyone! You are all fantastic base ten builders!"
Slide Deck
Count It Up: Base Ten!
Let's build some big numbers!
Greet students and generate excitement about learning. Ask students what they already know about counting big numbers or using blocks in math. Transition into introducing base ten blocks.
Meet the 'Ones'!
This little cube is a 'one'.
How many 'ones' do you see?
Explain what a 'one' block represents. Show a physical 'one' block or an image. Ask students for examples of numbers with only ones (e.g., 5, 8).
Hello, 'Tens'!
This rod is a 'ten'. It's made of 10 'ones'!
How many 'tens' do you see?
Explain what a 'ten' rod represents (10 ones). Show a physical 'ten' rod or an image. Ask students how many ones are in a ten. Have them count along if possible.
Wow, 'Hundreds'!
This big flat square is a 'hundred'.
It's made of 10 'tens' or 100 'ones'!
How many 'hundreds' do you see?
Explain what a 'hundred' flat represents (10 tens or 100 ones). Show a physical 'hundred' flat or an image. Ask how many tens are in a hundred, and how many ones are in a hundred.
Building Numbers: 123
Let's build 123!
- 1 Hundred
- 2 Tens
- 3 Ones
Guide students through building the number 123. Show one hundred flat, two ten rods, and three one blocks. Emphasize the connection between the digit and the block.
Building Numbers: 205
Now, let's build 205!
- 2 Hundreds
- 0 Tens
- 5 Ones
Guide students through building the number 205. This slide helps reinforce that a zero in the tens place means no ten rods.
Building Numbers: 340
Let's try 340!
- 3 Hundreds
- 4 Tens
- 0 Ones
Guide students through building the number 340. This slide helps reinforce that a zero in the ones place means no one blocks.
Your Turn! Build Away!
Now it's your turn to be the master builder!
Complete your Worksheet: Building Big Numbers by drawing or writing how you would build each number with base ten blocks.
Explain the instructions for the worksheet. Reiterate that they need to draw or write how they would build the numbers.
Great Job, Builders!
You did an amazing job building and understanding numbers today!
Keep practicing your base ten skills!
Wrap up the lesson, praise their effort, and encourage them to keep thinking about numbers in terms of place value.
Worksheet
Building Big Numbers with Base Ten Blocks
Name: _________________________
Date: __________________________
Directions: For each number, draw or describe how you would build it using hundreds flats, tens rods, and ones cubes. Remember to think about place value!
1. 145
How would you build 145?
2. 230
How would you build 230?
3. 308
How would you build 308?
4. 412
How would you build 412?
5. 555
How would you build 555?
Challenge! 999
How would you build 999?
Answer Key
Answer Key: Building Big Numbers with Base Ten Blocks
1. 145
- Thought Process: The number 145 has a '1' in the hundreds place, a '4' in the tens place, and a '5' in the ones place. Therefore, we need one hundred flat, four tens rods, and five ones cubes.
- Answer: 1 Hundred Flat, 4 Tens Rods, 5 Ones Cubes
2. 230
- Thought Process: The number 230 has a '2' in the hundreds place, a '3' in the tens place, and a '0' in the ones place. We will need two hundred flats and three tens rods, but no ones cubes.
- Answer: 2 Hundred Flats, 3 Tens Rods, 0 Ones Cubes
3. 308
- Thought Process: The number 308 has a '3' in the hundreds place, a '0' in the tens place, and an '8' in the ones place. This means we need three hundred flats and eight ones cubes, with no tens rods.
- Answer: 3 Hundred Flats, 0 Tens Rods, 8 Ones Cubes
4. 412
- Thought Process: For 412, there's a '4' in the hundreds place, a '1' in the tens place, and a '2' in the ones place. So, we'll use four hundred flats, one ten rod, and two ones cubes.
- Answer: 4 Hundred Flats, 1 Ten Rod, 2 Ones Cubes
5. 555
- Thought Process: The number 555 shows a '5' in the hundreds place, a '5' in the tens place, and a '5' in the ones place. This requires five hundred flats, five tens rods, and five ones cubes.
- Answer: 5 Hundred Flats, 5 Tens Rods, 5 Ones Cubes
Challenge! 999
- Thought Process: This challenge number, 999, has a '9' in the hundreds place, a '9' in the tens place, and a '9' in the ones place. This means we need the maximum number of blocks for each place value without going over to the thousands: nine hundred flats, nine tens rods, and nine ones cubes.
- Answer: 9 Hundred Flats, 9 Tens Rods, 9 Ones Cubes