Adding and Subtracting Within a Decade (Small Group)

6-A-S-3

Purpose: Develop initial mental strategies for addition and subtraction involving adding and subtracting within a decade (e.g., 43 + 5 and 48 – 3) while making connections to knowledge of structuring and relational knowledge to 10

Description: Students solve addition and subtraction tasks involving a 2-digit number and a 1-digit number. Tasks are presented with Mini 10-frames, making connections to written equations.

Materials

  • Mini 10-frames
  • Screen

What To Say and Do

  • 1

    Use Mini 10-frames to present students with a quantity of 35. Ask, “How many dots do you see?

  • 2

    Screen the mini ten frames and ask, “How many will there be if I add 3 dots?” Put the frame card with 3 dots next to the screen.

  • 3

    Remove the screen to validate student answers. Ask, “How did you know?

  • 4

    On a white board, write the equation that corresponds with the task, 35 + 3 = 38.

  • 5

    Present students with four full Mini 10-frames and a frame with 6 dots, asking, “How many dots are here?” [46] Screen the frames. 

  • 6

    Ask, “How many dots will we have if I remove 3 dots?” Without the students seeing, use a second screen to cover 3 dots on the frame with 6 dots.

  • 7

    Show students the frame to validate their answers. Ask, “How did you know?

  • 8

    On a white board, write the equation that corresponds with the task, 46 - 3 = 43.

  • 9

    Facilitate student discussion asking for noticings and reflections about the addition and subtraction tasks.

    • What did you notice about the numbers that helped you to solve the task?
    • If students counted by ones, ask, “Is there a way you can use something you know to solve the task without counting by ones?
  • 10

    Continue the lesson using a variety of the following addition and subtraction tasks:

    • Tasks that support small doubles (e.g., 32 + 2, 64 + 4).
    • Tasks that support 5-plus combinations (e.g., 75 + 2, 65 + 3).
    • Removing 1-digit numbers to support small doubles (e.g., 56 - 3, 34 - 2).
    • Removing 1-digit numbers that support 5-plus combinations (e.g., 48 - 3, 39 - 5).
    • Tasks that involve all combinations within 10 (e.g., 52 + 6, 83 + 4).

Variations

Once students are familiar with the activity and have developed verbal-based strategies, transition to posing addition and subtraction tasks in written expressions.

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