Curriculum topics:
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Addition
Subtraction
Regrouping
Place Value
GIVE AND TAKE
A Game to Reinforce Place Value Concepts
Subject: Math
Grade range: K – 3
3 “tens”
4 “ones”
34
Practice regrouping/ trading “tens” and “ones” while playing this game.
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Materials required
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Give and Take Game board (see page 3)
Dice, 2 (or 1 die for young students)
Game pieces, 1 per player
Math manipulatives for 10 (called a “ten”),
such as strings of 10 beads or 10-blocks, 20
Math manipulative for 1 (called a “one””),
such as a single bead or a one block, 80
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Containers, 1 per player, plus 2 more
WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD—Small parts
Not for children under 3 yrs.
Playing the Game (for 2 - 4 players)
1
Place “tens” in one container and “ones” in another container. These containers represent the
“bank”. Set a length of time for the game.
2
Each player chooses a game piece and places it anywhere on the path of the game board. Each
player takes 2 “tens” and 5 “ones” and places them in his or her own container.
3
The first player rolls the die (or both dice and adds the numbers), and then moves his or her
game piece clockwise the indicated number of spaces.
4
The player reads the number on the “landing” space (for example, +4 or -5).
If there is a plus (+) in front of the number the player takes that number of “ones” from the bank.
If there is a minus (-) in front of the number the player returns that number of “ones” to the bank.
25 (2 “tens” and 5 “ones”) + 4
5
=
2 “tens” and 9 “ones” = 29
A player who needs more “ones” must “trade in” a “ten” to the bank in exchange for 10 “ones”.
If a player has more than 9 ones, they must “regroup” 10 ones to make 1 ten – trading in the
“ones” to the back for the “ten”.
5
5
12 (1 “ten” and 2 “ones”) - 5 = 12 (“ones”) – 5 = 7 “ones” = 7
15
7 (7 “ones”) + 8
=
15 (“ones”)
= 1 “ten” and 5 “ones” = 15
6
Play continues in a clockwise direction for each player in turn. The players continue to trade and
regroup “tens” and “ones” in order to give and take the correct number to and from the bank. A
player with no “tens” or “ones” does not continue to play.
7
The game is over when time is called. The player with the highest number of beads wins!
Give and Take, page 2
© 2014, RAFT
Give and Take, page 3
© 2014, RAFT
Curriculum
Standards:
Understand solve
problems with addition
and subtraction
(Common Core Math
Standards:
Operations and
Algebraic Thinking:
Grade K, 1, 2, 3, & 4;
Grade 1, 1, 2, & 6;
Grade 2, 1 & 2)
Place Value of whole
numbers
(Common Core Math
Standards:
Number & Operations in
Base Ten:
Grade K, 1;
Grade 1, 2 & 4;
Grade 2, 5)
The math behind the activity
Children develop understanding and reasoning through exploration,
interaction, and feedback. When students are learning about trading tens and
ones, math manipulatives help to make the concepts concrete. This game
provides students an excellent opportunity practice addition, subtraction, and
regrouping/trading tens. The students also learn about the ideas behind place
value and Base 10.
Learn more
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Problem Solving and
Reasoning
(Common Core Math
Standards: Mathematical
Practices Grades K-3)
Play the game with the winner being the first player to get to a target
number.
Have young students progress step by step through a series of tens and
ones manipulatives so that the concept becomes clearly understood.
As the students progress, use more and more abstract visual
manipulatives. Slow progress through these different manipulatives is
important for deeper understanding of the concept. At each step, play
the game many times over several weeks.
1. Use a larger item to represent “ten” which does not actually show
ten items.
2.
3.
Use two items that are similar in size, but differ in color to represent
the tens and ones. (e.g., dimes and pennies)
Represent the tens and ones with items that only differ by one
attribute (e.g., shape, color, patterns).
Related activities: See RAFT Idea Sheets:
Abacus Primer –
http://www.raft.net/ideas/Abucus Primer.pdf
Binary Dots –
http://www.raft.net/ideas/Binary Dots.pdf
Place Your Number Value http://www.raft.net/ideas/Place Your Number Value.pdf
Resources
Visit www.raft.net/raft-idea?isid=79 for “how-to” video demos & more ideas!
See these websites for more information on the following topics:
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Additional standards at:
http://www.raft.net/raftidea?isid=79
Give and Take, page 4
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Practice regrouping Tens and Ones http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/math4/b/regrouponestens2l.cfm
Related videos and exercises from the Khan Academy –
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/arithmetic/addition-subtraction
Teacher designed math courses from the New Jersey Center for
Teaching & Learning – https://njctl.org/courses/math
© 2014, RAFT