What number is that?
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to engage students in using methods such as skip-counting and
counting on to solve a problem.
Achievement Objectives:
NA1-1: Use a range of counting, grouping, and equal-sharing strategies with whole numbers and
fractions.
NA1-2: Know the forward and backward counting sequences of whole numbers to 100.
NA1-4: Communicate and explain counting, grouping, and equal-sharing strategies, using words,
numbers, and pictures.
Description of mathematics:
In readiness for this problem, the students should have familiarity with each of the following
components of mathematics. The problem may be solved with different combinations of these
components.
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Skip counting
Using counting on strategies
Counting forward to find an unknown
Counting back to find an unknown
Using materials to represent numbers
Using materials to represent a problem
This activity may be carried out with guidance, or by allowing the student to follow their own
method of solution. The approach should be chosen in sympathy with students’ skills and depth of
understanding.
Activity:
A famous past president of the USA, Abraham Lincoln, once started a
speech with a number. He said:
“Four score and seven years ago…”
A score is another name for twenty. What number did Abraham Lincoln
begin his speech with?
The visual approach
The student is able to solve a problem using materials and counting strategies to find a sum, with
guidance.
Prompts from the teacher could be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Abraham Lincoln is saying a number in a funny way. What is his number?
Which part of Lincoln’s number is different to the way that we say our numbers?
What could we use to represent twenty, a score?
What would four score, four twenties, look like?
What does four score and seven, four twenties and seven, look like?
What is four score and seven in our numbers?
The procedural approach
The student is able to solve a problem using counting strategies to find a sum, with guidance.
Prompts from the teacher could be:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Abraham Lincoln is saying a number in a funny way. What is his number?
Which part of Lincoln’s number is different to the way that we say our numbers?
Can you say that number using our numbers?
Can you say Lincoln’s number using twenty instead of score?
What is four score and seven in our numbers?
The conceptual approach
The student is able to solve a problem using counting strategies to find a sum, with guidance.
Prompts from the teacher could be:
1. Which part of Lincoln’s number is different to the way that we say our numbers?
2. Can you say that number using our numbers?
3. What is four score and seven in our numbers?