The purpose of this activity is for students to find the total number of pattern blocks in their bag. Students may notice that their pattern blocks are made up of 2 groups, triangles and squares. Each bag of pattern blocks can have a different total number of objects and a different number of triangles and squares. In the Activity Synthesis, students share how they found the total number or pattern blocks.

• “Can you show me how you counted the pattern blocks? How do you know that you’ve counted all of the pattern blocks?”
• “How could the counting mat (or 5-frame) help you keep track of which pattern blocks you’ve counted?”

• Invite previously identified students to share how they counted their pattern blocks.
• “What is the same and what is different about how each group counted the pattern blocks?” (They both counted all of the blocks. One group counted all of the pattern blocks together and the other group counted the squares first and then the triangles.)
• “When we put together, or add, the number of squares and the number of triangles, we can figure out how many shapes we have altogether.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to find the total number of cubes when they add their cubes and their partner’s cubes. In the Activity Synthesis students discuss how although someone might count each group separately, that is not enough to determine how many cubes there are altogether. After counting each group, you need to put them together and count all of the cubes to find the total.

• Display a tower of 4 cubes and a tower of 3 cubes.
• “This group wants to find how many cubes there are altogether. First they counted and found out there are 4 cubes in this tower and 3 cubes in the other tower. What should they do to figure out how many cubes they have altogether?” (They should put their cubes together and count all of them).
• “How many cubes are there altogether?” (7)
• “One tower had 4 cubes and the other had 3 cubes. We can write that as ’4 and 3.’ When we add the cubes together, we get a total of 7 cubes. 4 and 3 is 7.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn Stage 1 of the Tower Build center. Students practice counting out objects, counting to 10, and counting on from a given number. Students take turns rolling a connecting cube onto a number mat and adding that number of cubes to their tower. Students may start counting their connecting cubes from 1 each time or they may remember how many cubes were in the tower and count on to determine the total number of cubes.

The first student to make a tower of 10 wins. If a student makes a tower with more than 10 cubes, they use the extra cubes to begin a new tower.

After they participate in the center, students choose any previously introduced stage from these centers:

• Math Libs
• Match Mine

Students will choose from these centers throughout the section. Keep materials from these centers organized to use each day. 

• Display a tower of 6 cubes.
• Count the cubes in the tower or invite a student to count the cubes.
• “Elena has a tower of 6 cubes. She rolled a 3.”
• Invite a student to show how they added 3 cubes. 
• “Did she win? How do you know?” If needed ask, “Does this tower have 10 cubes?” (She did not win, because I counted them all and she has 9 cubes. She did not win, because when they put the cubes on I counted 7,8,9 so, now she has 9 cubes.)
• “How many more cubes does she need to win?” (She needs 1 more. 10 is 1 more than 9.)