Activity No # 1 - Name of Activity

Estimated Time

Print 32 squares of this.
Distribute into 8 groups of 4 children each.
Each group will get 4 squares.
The value of 4 squares will be 4x100 = 400
Each group must cut the solid lines; 1 square will have 10 strips. These are tens. So each square has 10 “tens” (They can either *cut, or work without cutting – up to the children)
Each one of those tens will have 10 ones.
Let the children make numbers and write them down
Ask them what is the largest number each group can make? 400 is the answer – but check if children understand this.

II. Abstraction from here (1 period)

Now let us assume children have 9 such squares.

In each group, how many hundreds are possible ? – 9

In each group, how many tens are there ? – 9 x 10 = 90

In each group, how many tens are there ? – 90 x 10 = 900

1-9 ones are possible; 10 ones means one ten. Ten ones is the same as one ten

1-9 tens are possible; 10 tens means one hundred. Ten tens is the same as one hundred.

What happens when we have 10 hundreds? What is it the same as?

What is the importance of ten? We count in groups of tens

9+1= 10 = 10 x 1

99 + 1 = 100 = 10 x 10

999 + 1 = 1000 = 10 x 100

Greatest 1-digit number + 1 = Smallest 2-digit number

Greatest 2-digit number + 1 = Smallest 3-digit number

Greatest 3-digit number + 1 = Smallest 4-digit number

Following the pattern, we can expect that, on adding 1 to the greatest 4-digit number

(9999 – nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine) we get the smallest 5-digit number

(9999 + 1 = 10,000 or ten thousand). Further we can expect that 10 x 1000 = 10,000 i.e.

9999 + 1 = 10,000 = 10 x 1000.

Do this only when children are confident – this is for advanced students