Growth Point 3

Materials: One worksheet per student (or pair).

Activity: Cut along the dotted lines to make three piles of number cards. Leave the subtraction language and equal signs in columns. Students choose one card from each column to make true subtraction equations. For example, 19 count back 10 = 9 or 16 count back 7 = 9.

Students should be encouraged to use the count back, count down to and count up from strategies to select the numbers from columns two and three.

Note that depending upon the combinations chosen, there may be some cards left over. If so, this could be used as the basis for a discussion of the various strategies which can be used.

Related key ideas: Part-part-whole, separation.

Materials: One game card per student, one dice.

Activity: Each student is given one game card. The number in bold above the grid is their target number. The teacher (or a student) rolls the dice. Students count back from their target number by the amount shown on the dice. If this number appears on their game card, they cover it with a counter. The first to cover all four numbers on their grid is the winner.

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

Materials: Two sets of cards from 0 to 20, counters, whiteboard or empty number line template.

Activity: Each student has one grid card. Students take turns to draw two cards from the pile. They then find the difference between these two cards by using the count back, count down to or count up from strategies. Students record their strategy on an empty number line before they cover this difference with a counter on their grid card. The first student to cover three numbers in a vertical, horizontal or diagonal row is the winner.

Related key ideas: Comparison.

Materials: One activity card per pair, one dice, one coin.

Activity: The aim of this game is to be the first to get to the diamonds at zero. Begin at ground level (40). Student One tosses the coin to find the direction of movement. If it lands as heads, move up, and move down if its tails. Once the direction is known, the student then rolls the dice to find the number of levels to move.

Play moves from student to student until one reaches the diamonds at the bottom of the mine shaft. An exact roll is not needed in order to win. If a student reaches 50, they stay there until they toss a tails in order to move down.

Related key ideas: Combining, separation.

Materials: Story setting cards, teddy counters.

Activity: Students select a story setting card and take a handful of teddies. Together they count the teddies and agree on the total number of teddies that are on the card. One student closes their eyes while the other student removes some of the teddies from the card. The first student opens their eyes and needs to work out how many teddies have been taken away. Together the students record their number sentences.

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

Materials: Beanstalk game card, two different-coloured counters, dice.

Activity: Students place their counters at the top of the beanstalk on the number 20. Students then roll the dice to determine how many places they need to count back. Before moving their counter, the students need to state where they think they will land. For instance, a student who starts on 20 and rolls 5 could say, ‘I will land on 15 because 20 count back 5 is 15: 19, 18, 17, 16, 15’.

Related key ideas: Separation.

Materials: Story setting cards, teddy counters.

Activity: This game can be played using the starting point 10 or 20, depending on which template you use. Each student fills their bus with passengers (teddies or similar). They take turns in rolling the dice and predicting how many passengers they will have left if they remove that amount. As they remove their counters, they think about which strategy they are using and say what they are thinking aloud. The winner is the first to empty their bus.

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

Materials: Fruit tree template, 20 counters (to represent the fruit), dice.

Activity: Begin the game by placing all the fruit on the trees. Roll the dice and pick that amount of fruit off the tree. Record the number sentences as you go. The aim of the game is to pick all the fruit off the tree.

Related key ideas: Separation, part-part-whole, comparison.

Variation: Roll two dice and find the difference between them. This is then the amount that is picked off the fruit tree.

Materials: Race-track template, one counter, dice.

Activity: Students roll two dice and find the difference between them. They then move that many moves forward on the race track game board. Students keep a running record of what they have rolled, the difference, and how much more they need to roll to reach the end of the game board.

Related key ideas: Part-part-whole, comparison, combining.

Materials: Tree templates, dice, a collection of two different coloured counters. (Choose an appropriate template using your student data.)

Activity: Students roll two dice and find the difference. The student then finds this number on the leaves and covers it using their coloured counter. The game continues until all leaves on the tree have been covered. The winner is the student who has managed to cover the most amount of leaves.

Related key ideas: Comparison

Variation: Students are given the template of the tree with blank leaves and asked to decide what numbers should be on the leaves.

Students need to decide, ‘Should any number be repeated?’ ’Should any numbers be left off, appear more/less often?’.

Students then try the game using their own leaf numbers and make adjustments according to what they have found.