Clip 1/21: Standard 7: Look for & Make Use of Structure Using Base Ten Menu Part 1

Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure. Young students, for example, might notice that three and seven more is the same amount as seven and three more, or they may sort a collection of shapes according to how many sides the shapes have.

Liz O'Neill works with her first grade students engaging them in composing and decomposing numbers within twenty, focusing on ways that numbers combine to produce other numbers. She begins by having her students rename a "target" number in as many ways as possible in their math message book. They are then given a 2 second quick look at 3 ten frames and asked to determine that number (23) mentally. Using sentence frames, students share with their partner what number they saw and how they saw it. A variety of ways were discussed as a whole group after everyone had a chance to share with their partner. The main lesson activity is a game called "How Many are Hiding?" Student pairs were given a bag with 10 cubes, a paper plate, and the "How Many Are Hiding Recording Sheet". In addition, sentence frames were posted on the board so students could produce academic language using structured student talk and convince their partners with oral justification. One partner takes some of the cubes and "hides" them under the plate. The remaining are placed on the top. The second partner uses sentence frames to answer the questions "What number do you see?", "How many are hiding?", "How do you know __ are hiding"? In addition, the answers are recorded. Roles are then reversed. The partner game gives students practice in composing and decomposing numbers within ten.

See this video in the context of an entire lesson.

(Parts 1-4)