The purpose of this activity is for students to think about the value of tens and ones and consider a representation where the tens are not presented to the left of the ones. In the previous activity, students saw that the order of the digits matters when writing a two-digit number.
In this activity, students see that although the order matters when writing a number, the position of tens or ones in a drawing or diagram does not change their value. Students should have access to connecting cubes in towers of 10 and singles. They should be encouraged to use them if they have difficulty making meaning of the base-ten diagram in their student book.
During the Activity Synthesis, the teacher emphasizes the value of the units in the diagram and the digits and connects them to the commutative property.
When students decide who they agree with and explain their reasoning, they critique the reasoning of others (MP3).
MLR8 Discussion Supports. Prior to solving the problems, invite students to make sense of the situations and take turns sharing their understanding with their partner. Listen for and clarify any questions about the context.
Advances: Reading, Representing
Action and Expression: Develop Expression and Communication. Provide students with alternatives to writing on paper. Students can share their learning verbally or through pictures.
Supports accessibility for: Language, Conceptual Processing