standard_description: Find the area of right triangles, other triangles, special quadrilaterals, and polygons by composing into rectangles or decomposing into triangles and other shapes; apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.
problem_activity: Narrative
The purpose of this activity is to count an organized arrangement of images and write a number to represent the quantity. The arrangement is designed to encourage kids to count by 10 as each row, except the last, has ten cats. Students may determine the number of tens and ones (10 tens 8 ones is 108) or they may skip count the groups and count on by ones (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108).
MLR7 Compare and Connect.
Synthesis: After all strategies have been presented, lead a discussion comparing, contrasting, and connecting the different approaches. Ask: “How are the strategies similar? How are the strategies different? What connections can you make between the strategies?”
Advances: Representing, Conversing
Launch
Groups of 2
Activity
Read the task statement.
3 minutes: independent work time
“Explain how you counted to your partner. If you got different answers, work together to figure out how many cats there are.”
3 minutes: partner work time
Monitor for students who count by:
circling groups of cats and then skip counting or adding them
recognizing that first ten rows each have 10 cats
Student Facing
How many cats are there?
[IMG]
There are ____________ cats.
Show your thinking using drawings, numbers, or words.
Student Response
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Activity Synthesis
Display student work that shows grouping in different ways.
“How did they group the cats? How did it help them figure out how many there were?” (They circled 5 rows for 50 and another 5 rows, and knew that
\(50 + 50 = 100\)
. Then there are 8 more, which is 108.)


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