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Making 10 & Tens-Ones Bundling Station

Source:

Use popsicle sticks and rubber bands to bundle groups of 10 loose sticks into 'Tens' bundles. A pressure-sensing counting mat tracks the count and celebrates when you hit 10.

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Props & Materials Required

  • •Box of wooden ice-cream/craft sticks (20-30 sticks)
  • •Rubber bands
  • •Two paper plates labeled 'Tens' and 'Ones'
  • •Ten-frame grid printouts

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Count Loose Sticks on the Smart Mat

Place sticks one by one onto the pressure-sensing 'Ones' mat. The display counts up: 1, 2, 3... and the speaker counts along.

2

10 Reached — Celebration!

When the 10th stick is placed, all LEDs flash green, the speaker plays a fanfare, and the display shows '1 TEN!'

3

Tie the Bundle

Wrap a rubber band tightly around the 10 sticks. Move the bundle to the 'Tens' plate.

4

Build Numbers 11 to 20

To make 14: place 1 Bundle on the Tens plate and put 4 loose sticks on the Ones mat. The display reads '14'.

Why It Works & Notes

Place value is the core of elementary arithmetic. Physically tying 10 loose ones into 1 solid bundle makes the abstract concept '1 Ten = 10 Ones' concrete. The smart counter adds a celebratory feedback loop.