Activity Overview
Students will build their flexibility in using numbers by exploring the connections between the number symbols and their representations with base-ten materials.
Before the Activity
Read Counting On Frank by Rod Clement and discuss some other kinds of questions that a person could ask about how many objects fit in or on other objects.
During the Activity
Give each group of students a large pile of units
(over 300) from the base-ten materials, and tell them that this is how many jelly beans fit into a jar that you filled.
Ask them to count the jelly beans and observe the techniques they use (counting one at a time, making groups of 10, etc.).