Exploring Ten

Listen to the following story told in song.

  • How many animals are in the room?
  • How many animals are in the bed?
  • How many animals are on the floor?
  • What patterns do you see?

Using Connecting Cubes to Explore Fact Families

We are going to model the "Ten in the Bed" song with shapes:

  • What shape should we use to represent each animal?
  • How can we use color to tell which animals are on the bed and which are on the floor?

Replay the song and pause after each animal has rolled over and off the bed. Model each new situation using 2 colors of 1 shape.
We are going to look for patterns.

  • What number sentences can we write when 1 animal has rolled over and off the bed?
  • What number sentences can we write when 2 animals have rolled over and off the bed?
  • What number sentences can we write when 3 animals have rolled over and off the bed?

What patterns do we see?

Click this button to visit the Pattern Blocks exercise:

ABAB Pattern Blocks