identifying combinations- with the Numblox iPad app

The First Grade Butterflies are developing their understanding of numbers and operations in base ten and their algebraic thinking as mathematicians.

Using the Numblox iPad app, the first graders cooperatively use number rods to identify combinations of a quantity.

After the initial introduction of the Numblox app and number rods, the Butterflies cooperatively explored the Numblox app with their math partner (while in the learning circle) to identify combinations of ten.

As various Butterfly math partners shared combinations and strategies used with the class, a "shared" chart of the combinations identified for ten was created on the SMARTboard and students participated in a discussion of the strategies shared.

Utilizing the Numblox app, the math partners apply strategies to identify combinations of a quantity.

Supporting students' development of recognizing and using the mathematical symbols for addition (+) and equality (=) to create, solve, and/or explain thinking, the Butterfly partners record combinations for a determined quantity in equations (for example- 7+2=9).

Butterfly math partners explore number rods on the Numblox iPad app

math partners cooperatively identify
and record combinations for a quantity of 8

a screen shot of a Butterfly Math Partners' use of the Numblox app
to identify combinations for the quantity of 9

identifying the unknown "part" of a "whole"- with the Friends of Ten iPad app

As mathematicians, the First Grade Butterflies have been developing their understanding of the relationship between addition and subtraction through composing and/or decomposing quantities.

Utilizing the "How Many More" and "How Many Less" activities in the Little Monkey Friends of 10 iPad app, the first grade mathematicians work cooperatively with a partner to identify the "whole", identify the "known part", determine the "operation" (of addition or subtraction), and determine the "unknown part" for each problem.

To encourage students understanding and use of mathematical thinking, language, and mathematical symbols of operations (addition and subtraction), a Friends of Ten app recording sheet (I created to correspond to the language of the app) is completed.  With each problem in the app, the math partners alternate between "solving and explaining" and "recording and monitoring".
With each problem-
1. The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "known whole" in the problem.
2. The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "known whole" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "known whole"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "known whole" before recording.)

3.  The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "known part" in the problem and verbally and visually explains his/her thinking-reasoning through manipulating and/or referencing the chips.
4.  The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "known part" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "known part"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "known part" before recording.)

5.  The "solving and explaining" partner identifies the "operation" (addition or subtraction) and the "unknown part" to solve the problem and verbally and visually explains his/her thinking-reasoning through manipulating chips on the app.
6. The "recording and monitoring" partner monitors accuracy and records the "operation" and the "unknown part" identified by the "solving and explaining" partner on the Friends of Ten recording sheet.  (If the "recording and monitoring" partner does not agree with the identified "operation" and/or "unknown part"- he/she explains his/her thinking and the partners cooperatively determine the "operation" and/or "unknown part" before recording.)

math partners manipulating chips on a tens frame
to identify the unknown part in a whole

math partners identify and record the known "whole" and the known "part"
and determine and record the corresponding operation and the unknown "part"
 using the How Many More and/or How Many Less problems on the Friends of Ten iPad app