Lesson 3
Snap the Cubes
Lesson Purpose
Lesson Narrative
In previous lessons, students have composed and decomposed numbers and noticed that numbers can be composed and decomposed in more than one way. In this lesson, students decompose numbers in more than one way. In the first activity, students do this by snapping a tower of connecting cubes into 2 parts in different ways. In the second activity, students are given a written number rather than objects. Decomposing a number into parts in different ways deepens their understanding of numbers and their relationships (MP7).
- Action and Expression
- MLR8
Learning Goals
Teacher Facing
- Compose and decompose numbers up to 9.
Student Facing
- Let’s find different ways to break apart numbers.
Required Materials
Materials to Gather
Materials to Copy
- What's Behind My Back Stage 1 Recording Sheet
Required Preparation
Activity 1:
- Each group of 2 needs 8 connecting cubes of the same color.
Activity 3:
- Gather materials from:
- What’s Behind My Back?, Stage 1
- Check It Off, Stage 1
- Find the Value of Expressions, Stage 1
- Bingo, Stages 1–3
- Shake and Spill, Stages 1–3
CCSS Standards
Addressing
Lesson Timeline
| Warm-up | 10 min |
| Activity 1 | 10 min |
| Activity 2 | 10 min |
| Activity 3 | 20 min |
| Lesson Synthesis | 5 min |
| Cool-down | 5 min |
Teacher Reflection Questions
Print Formatted Materials
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| Student Task Statements | docx | |
| Lesson Cover Page | docx | |
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| Teacher Guide | Log In | |
| Teacher Presentation Materials | docx | |
| Blackline Masters | zip |