Comparing Two-Digit Numbers with Base-Ten Blocks
A 5-day practice unit for 1st graders that builds and compares numbers from 0 to 120 using tens rods and ones cubes. Students practice reasoning about place value, learn that more tens means a bigger number, and finish each day with guided "Your Turn" sentence frames.
“5 day unit over the standard Comparing two numbers in the range 0-120 (1.NBT.B.3) from Numeracy”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as a daily 20-30 minute math block across five days, starting each session with a quick base-ten block demo before students work independently or in pairs.
- Discussion question: "Why is 34 bigger than 29 even though 29 has more ones?" Encourage students to explain using the words tens and ones.
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide physical base-ten blocks at each desk and have students build each number before comparing, pointing to the tens rods first.
- Extension for advanced students: ask them to build two numbers with the same number of tens and different ones, then explain which is larger and why.
- Plan roughly 25 minutes per day, with a short wrap-up where students share one comparison sentence aloud.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free“5 day unit over the standard Comparing two numbers in the range 0-120 (1.NBT.B.3) from Numeracy”
Teacher Guide & Tips
- Use this as a daily 20-30 minute math block across five days, starting each session with a quick base-ten block demo before students work independently or in pairs.
- Discussion question: "Why is 34 bigger than 29 even though 29 has more ones?" Encourage students to explain using the words tens and ones.
- Scaffold for struggling readers: provide physical base-ten blocks at each desk and have students build each number before comparing, pointing to the tens rods first.
- Extension for advanced students: ask them to build two numbers with the same number of tens and different ones, then explain which is larger and why.
- Plan roughly 25 minutes per day, with a short wrap-up where students share one comparison sentence aloud.
Comparing Two-Digit Numbers with Base-Ten Blocks
A 5-day practice unit for 1st graders that builds and compares numbers from 0 to 120 using tens rods and ones cubes. Students practice reasoning about place value, learn that more tens means a bigger number, and finish each day with guided "Your Turn" sentence frames.
What is Diffit?
Teachers use Diffit to get quality materials for their unique classrooms. Adjust difficulty, add scaffolds, or change the topic to get started.
Try Diffit for free