Make multiplying by powers of ten more accessible to your students by focusing on patterns in the number of zeros!

Use this hands-on lesson to encourage collaboration amongst students as they review base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form. This lesson can be used as a pre-lesson to Base Ten Block Party or as a stand-alone activity.

Students will get to explore three-digit numbers through base-ten blocks and written form. Students will get plenty of practice identifying the place values of a number both individually and with the class.

Let’s start building numbers! Just as building skyscrapers is a visual representation of mathematics, students will use the visual representation of base-ten blocks to add—or build—onto a two-digit number.

Students put their understanding of one and 10 more to work as they write word problems for classmates to solve. This lesson plan can be used alone or with Picture Addition.