Saturday, January 11, 2014

Number Puzzles


Today I wanted to share with you my number sense puzzles. I created these for my kids to use during math centers.  There are two different types of puzzles to practice putting numbers in order to 100.

The first is simply a 100 piece puzzle that I picked up from the Dollar Tree.  I actually got a few puzzles for this center.  When the puzzle was together, I flipped it over and numbered each piece 1-100 on the back.  The puzzles I got are conveniently 10x10 so it looks just like a 100s chart!  Now, when the students are in math centers they can pull a puzzle and try to complete the puzzle by only looking at the numbers on the back.  When they flip it over, they get to see the completed picture!





The second set of puzzles are hundreds charts that I cut into several different "puzzle" pieces.  The kids have to put the hundreds chart back together in the correct order.  It forces them to think about where the numbers go in relation to each other.












With each of these puzzle centers, it is so interesting to see how my students' minds work.  To see the way they begin with one and work their way across the whole first row of numbers before they realize that they can make connections going down the chart as well. With many students it takes them a long time to get that first puzzle.  But once they get it, the "get it."  They learn to sort through every other puzzle that much faster.  They learn to recognize the patterns within the hundreds chart and the relationship among the numbers.  It is a great learning tool!

How do you like to teach number sense to your students?

2 comments:

  1. LOVE both of these ideas!! Thank you for sharing! I have hundred charts cut up in a center, but I never thought about doing it on the back of a puzzle! Dollar Tree, here I come!

    Katie :)
    KTP: Keep Teaching and Planning!

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  2. I am SO glad I saw this today. I am going to cut up a 120 chart and do this. I am just starting this unit now. I am also doing the 100 piece puzzle, how PERFECT!

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