Growth Point 5

Counting 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.

5. Counting from x (where x > 0) by 2s, 5s, and 10s

Given a non-zero starting point, can count by 2s, 5s, and 10s to a given target.

Make your counters count

Materials: One gameboard per group (enlarge to A3 size or even bigger), one counter per student.

Activity: Students take turns to throw their counter onto the gameboard from a distance of about 1 metre. The area in which their counter lands will determine their score for that throw. Students keep their own running total of their score. The first student to reach 50 points wins. If the counter is touching any part of a line, it only scores 1 point.

Related key ideas: Quantity, stable-order principle, cardinality principle.

Make your counters count Part 2

Materials: One gameboard per group (enlarge to A3 size or even bigger), one counter per student, Two dice marked + 2, + 2, + 5, + 5, + 10, + 10.

Activity: Students roll the dice, total the score on both dice and add this to their running total. They may continue having turns until they decide to bank their score and pass their turn onto the next student. But if a student rolls a double (e.g. two 2s) before they bank their score, they lose all of their points for this turn. The first student to reach 100 points wins.

Related key ideas: Quantity, stable-order principle, cardinality principle.

Stand up, sit down

Materials: None.

Activity: This activity is designed purely as an individual challenge for the students. It is important that it is not portrayed as a competitive activity. Students try to improve their previous performance by remaining standing for a greater number of rounds each time they play. The activity can be concluded when a small number of students are left, rather than just one.

To begin the activity, all members of the class are standing. The teacher gives an oral addition sum such as 5 + 2 which students must calculate in their heads and keep the total. The teacher then builds upon this with other questions such as + 10, which the students must add to the previous total. The students remain standing for as long as they can keep track of the total.

When students have ‘lost track’ of the total, they quietly sit in their seat. While seated, they record the number they got to, and attempt to record the steps they took to get to that total using an empty number line. It is useful to begin with easier questions and gradually increase the difficulty and speed of delivery.

It is important that the teacher keeps a record of the questions given. A whole class activity at the conclusion can be to check the final total using an empty number line, so that all members of the class can check their recordings. As mentioned above, students are praised for improving their own number of rounds standing, rather than for being the last person standing. The questions given can be selected to suit the focus of the class, at this time counting by 2s, 5s and 10s from x where x > 0.

Related key ideas: Quantity, stable-order principle, cardinality principle.

Close your eyes and count

Materials: Calculator.

Activity: Ask the students to type in 9 + 5 in the calculator but not to press the ‘=‘ key. Ask, ‘What do you think will happen when we press =? Why?’ ‘What will happen if I keep pressing =?’ Explain the constant function is helping you to count by 5s. Provide the students with a target number. Using the constant function on the calculator, students must close their eyes and count until they have reached the target.

Related key ideas: Stable-order principal, cardinality principal.

How does your garden grow?

Materials: Caterpillars either made by students using egg cartons and match sticks, or from the template.

Activity: Discussion about how many caterpillars there are. Each has ten legs so ask, ‘I wonder how many legs that is altogether?’ Whole class counts by 10s together to determine the total number of legs.

Related key ideas: Quantity, cardinality principle, conservation of number.

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