Growth Point 2

Addition and Subtraction Growth Points activities

The tasks listed on the following pages are rich tasks from various sources that may be used with multi-level groups or students who are working at a particular level.

2. Count on

Counts on from one number to find the total of two collections.

Counter cards

Materials: Set of playing cards with picture cards removed (Ace = 1), counters.

Activity: Students work as pairs. Each student is dealt two cards face-up. Using the count-on strategy, they begin with the largest number and count on to find the total of the two sets of counters, and therefore the two sets of cards. The student with the smallest number collects their number of counters and places them on the table. The students then use this collection to start at the larger number card and count-on using the counters their partner has collected.

Related key ideas: Combining.

Variation: Repeat the game, with both students drawing two cards each and collecting the collection for their own lower quantity. The student with the highest total collects all four cards. Play then repeats itself for either a timed period, or until the pack is all dealt.

Colour in sum

Materials: Activity card for each student, two dice per group, coloured pencil.

Activity: Students roll two dice and find the sum. Colour in the square with the total on the activity card. The student with all of their numbers covered first wins.

Related key ideas: Combining, partitioning.

Spinning dots

Materials: Stick-on dots, blank stickers. Stick regular dot patterns on the backs of half the students in the class, with a different number of dots for each students (from 1 to whatever is half the number of children in the class). On the backs of the other students, stick second dot patterns for the same digits.

Activity: One by one, each student stands at the front of the room and turns quickly to show pattern on their back to the rest of the class. With only a quick glimpse, the students call out the number of dots they see, and this numeral is then written onto a blank sticker and placed on the front of the student.

Related key ideas: Quantity, conservation of number, subitising.

Variation: After all students have a numeral sticker to match their dots, they must then find the other student in the room who has the same number as them. They then transfer their dot patterns onto two halves of a blank sheet of paper, with the numeral written at the top of the page.

Pair up

Materials: None.

Activity: This is a useful activity whenever there is a need to pair students off. Teacher numbers students from 1 to the number of students in the class. Students are then instructed to find the person who has the number which, when added to theirs, makes one more than the highest number allocated. For example, if there are 26 students in the class, students must find the person with whom their numbers added together make 27 (e.g. 1 and 26, 2 and 25). Students are asked to articulate which number they would start with and which number they would count-on from to find the total of 27.

Related key ideas: Combining, part-part-whole, partitioning.

Telephone high

Materials: List of student telephone numbers or random phone numbers.

Activity: The aim of this activity is to give students the opportunity to practice the count-on strategy. Explain to students that you are going to see who has the highest scoring telephone number in the class. Teacher models with a telephone number (e.g. 9834 4833 becomes 9 + 8 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 8 + 3 + 3). Add only pairs of numbers at a time (e.g. 9 + 8 = 17, 17 + 3 = 20) to reach a total of 42. Students then add the eight digits of their own phone numbers together to find a total. Discuss ways students can ‘easily’ pair up numbers to count them. Does it matter what order you add them in?

Related key ideas: Combining, associative property.

Soccer scores

Materials: Ten of each number 0, 1, 2, and 3 cards, and three number 4 cards.

Activity: Divide the class into half. One is the Red Ravens soccer team, and the other the Blue Birds. Explain that you are going to simulate an entire soccer season by finding the total number of goals that they scored each week. Draw two columns on the board and label one ‘Red Ravens’ and the other ‘Blue Birds’. To simulate each round, have a student draw a card from the pack. This is their team’s score for that round. Record it on the board. As further rounds are scored, add a second column for each team with a cumulative total. Use the count-on strategy from the previous score to find the new score. Encourage oral counting by each team to find their progressive total. Play for ten rounds and the team with the highest score at the end of the season are the premiers.

Related key ideas: Combining.

Twenty wins

Materials: One dice.

Activity: Students take turns to roll the dice. They count on from the previous turn. The student who counts the number 20 wins the rounds and takes a counter. They then begin the next round by rolling the dice and starting from zero again. The first student to collect five counters wins.

Related key ideas: Combining.

Snowman

Materials: Worksheet per student, red dice, blue dice (one dice needs to have the numbers displayed as numerals and the other as dots).

Activity: Students roll the two dice and add the digits. They record this total in the appropriate square on the worksheet. If the score has been rolled before the student misses a turn and begins to play Snowman (adapted from Hangman – students start drawing a snowman). Note that, for example, red 4 + blue 3 is different to red 3 + blue 4.

The object of the game is to complete the table before reaching ‘Snowman’ (Hangman).

Related key ideas: Combining.

Choose your own bingo

Materials: Blank bingo template for each student, counters, two dice.

Activity: Students select four numbers between 2 and 12 (they can repeat a number, but can only mark off one of them each time the number is called) and write these numbers on their bingo card. The students then take it in turns to roll the two dice and add them to find the total. If the total appears on their own bingo card, they cross it off. Play then passes to the next student.

The first student to win is the one who crosses off all of their numbers.

Related key ideas: Combining.

Count on

Materials: Set of cards numbered 0 to 15, whiteboard or empty number line template.

Activity: Soccer scores is a good activity to complete as a whole class before breaking into pairs to play this game.

Student 1 turns over two cards and determines how many it is to count on from the lowest number to the highest and write this number on paper. Students use an empty number line to show how they are counting-on from one number to another. Play then passes to Student 2. On Student 1’s second turn, add the ‘counting on’ amount to the previous score and count on again to find a cumulative total. Play returns to Student 2.

The first student to score 100 wins.

Related key ideas: Combining.

Roll and add

Materials: Story dice, Unifix cubes.

Activity: Students roll the dice and collect that amount of Unifix. The next student rolls and adds the new quantity, counting on from the previous total. The aim of the game is to get to a tower of 20 (or 50). Students record their running total as they go.

Variation: Play using a number track or number chart to keep track.

Related key ideas: Combining.

Fill the bus

Materials: Story dice, teddy counters, bus templates.

Activity: Students roll the dice and place that number of teddies on the bus. Ask ‘How many more teddies are needed to fill the bus?’ Students add the extra teddies and record their number sentence. Compare as a class all the different combinations that are possible.

Variation: The two templates provided allow this activity to work for building to 10 or 20.

Related key ideas: Combining, partitioning, part-part-whole.

Matchbox count-on

Materials: Matchboxes numbered 0 to 10, filled with the corresponding numbers of counters, dice.

Activity: Students choose one of the matchboxes and check that the correct number of corresponding counters are inside. Students place the counters back and then roll the dice.

The number on the dice indicates how many more they need to count on from. Students record their number sentences.

Related key ideas: Combining, partitioning, part-part-whole.

Lower card counts

Materials: Playing cards with picture cards removed.

Activity: Shuffle a deck of cards and place them face-down in the centre. Each student takes a card. In pairs, decide who has the lower value. That student then needs to call the words ‘count on x’ and hide their card. The student with the higher value then counts on that number from the number card they have in front of them.

Related key ideas: Combining, part-part-whole.

Hidden teddies

Materials: Story setting cards, teddy counters, dice.

Activity: Students choose one of the story setting cards. They roll the dice and collect that number of teddies and place them on the card. Students then roll the dice again but this time they say there are ‘x teddies hiding under the bed’. The teddies will hide in a variety of places depending on which cards the students choose. The students then record their number story to show how many teddies are on the mat, how many are hidden and how many altogether.

Related key ideas: Combining, partitioning, part-part-whole.

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