Addition and Subtraction

How many altogether? -

Roll a die. Put this many items on a card. Repeat. Predict the number of items altogether. Check and prove. Create and tell a story about this scenario.

Some went away -

Select a number from 10 - 15 and place this many counters on the scenario card. Remove some counters. Predict how many counters are left. Check and prove. Create and tell a story about the scenario.

One screened collection -

Make a collection of 6-12 objects and cover the collection with a piece of paper. Ask the students to visualize the collection, describe the arrangement and tell how many there are in total. Add another collection of 3 -5 objects. Predict the number of items altogether. Check and prove. Remove the paper if necessary.

Number Busting -

Ask students to move (and imagine moving) a set of beads (5 -20) to one end of the bead string eg. 12 beads. Next challenge the children to split (or imagine splitting) the beads into two groups. Explore the different ways to organise the 12 beads into two groups. How do you know when all possibilities are found?

Race Back to Zero -

Make a number line game board from 0 -30 and collect and die with numerals 1-6. Both players begin at 30 on the number line and place a token at this position. Taking turns, each player rolls the die and moves the counter back the number of places shown on the die. Before each move, ask players to predict which number they will land on, explain how they know and check. The goal is to be the first player to reach 0.

Number Target -

Select a numeral from 10 - 20. Student imagine and predict two numbers to add together to make this number. How many different combinations can be found? Increase the target to numbers from 20 - 30 and beyond. Next challenge students to suggest 3 or more numbers that add together to make the target number.

Doubles Bingo -

Give students a blank bingo card. Ask children to fill the card by writing numbers from 2 -20. Take a1 -10 spinner, spin and read the number. Students place a counter on a numeral if it is double the number called.

Halves Bingo -

Fill in the bingo card with numbers from 1 -10. Students place a a counter on a numeral if it is half the number called.

Ten Combinations with Card Games -

Traditional card games like Go Fish, Snap and Concentration can be adapted tp provide students with experiences with building to 10. For example, when playing these games, rather than trying to make pairs with the same number, adapt the game so that pairs can combine to make a total of 10.

Animals in the paddock -

A farmer has horses, cows and sheep in a paddock. Altogether there are 15 (or any number) of animals in the paddock. What different combinations of animals might be in the paddock?

Add Ten -

Choose a number between 0-30 (infants) and 30 - 120 (primary). Say the number. Move this many beads to the beginning of the bead string and prove that you have the correct number. Which bead's number name tells you how many beads you moved altogether? Label this bead with a numeral card. Get ten more beads. Predict how many you will have altogether. Repeat

You can change this activity by taking ten to practice subtraction or taking or adding 9 or 90 (using numbers to 1000)

Complex Number Busting -

Think of a number between 70 and 90 (or 700 and 900). The challenge is to find as many ways to split or partition this quantity as possible in 3 minutes and record these.