Engaging Hundreds Chart Activities

**This will be a 2 part post in which I will discuss different ways to engage students in activities using hundreds charts.  Each post will include three activities to engage students.**

The hundreds chart is a tool for students to explore and think about the number system.  Students can use it in a variety of ways to help build understanding of place value, number patterns, skip counting, addition, subtraction, and multiples of a number.

There are many ways to use hundreds charts, below are 3 great ideas:

Hundreds Chart Warm Up Activities

Important Number Warm Up Activity
Provide each student with several chips or counters and a copy of a 100's chart. First highlight an important number to you.  For example, my number is 6 because it represents the 6th month of the year, which is June (the month I was born).  I ask the students to find and cover the number 6 as well.  I then ask the students to cover up 2 - 3 numbers that are important to them.  From this point, I provide an opportunity for the students to pair up with someone from their group to discuss why that number is important to them.  Typically, I call on 5 different students to share out why that number is important to them.  After the students do this quick activity, allow them to choose 2 of their important numbers and determine how far apart they are.  For instance, using the numbers 6 and 20 the students will find the difference is 14.  

Guess My Number Warm Up Activity

As another warm up activity idea, I ask the students to guess my number. With the hundreds chart in front of each student I provide clues to the students and give them the opportunity to guess which number I am thinking of.  For example I give the following clues:

• My number is a two digit number.
• My number is greater than 7 and less than 17.
• You can only land on my number by skip counting by 2's.
• The two digits in my number add up to 5.
• What's my number?  Answer is 14.

Name that Pattern

Provide each student with a hundreds chart and clear chips.  If you do not have clear chips, laminate the hundreds chart and provide each student with a dry erase marker (they will be able to shade in the numbers that you call out).  The students can work in pairs during this activity to explore and discover various number patterns.  

Discovering Patterns of Skip Counting by 5's:

When you first introduce students to this activity it is important to start with familiar patterns or numbers.  From this point you can progress to patterns that are not as obvious to students. 

Ask the students to place clear chips on or shade in the following numbers: 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.  Allow the students to discuss the patterns they notice with partners.  Select several speakers to share what he or she noticed with the class.

Next, ask students to place the chips on another set of familiar numbers like:  45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70. Allow the students to discuss the patterns they notice with partners. Select a different speakers to share with the class.  (See images below).

                   

Important Questions to Ask During this Activity Include:

• What patterns do you notice?
• How did you see these patterns?  Prove it by showing it to us.
• What do you think will happen if I change the starting number?  Will the patterns remain the same or will they change?  Will you still skip count by the same amount?
• Do you notice any patterns with the digits in the numbers?  What are they?

Also have the students look at less conventional patterns that still skip count by 5's, such as those in the images below.  The most important part of this activity is to allow the students time to discuss and share the patterns they notice.  This directly correlates to Standards of Math Practice # 3 - Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Apply the same concept when having the students skip count by 10's.  Check out the images below.

Hundreds Chart Mania Center

Another way to engage students in hundreds chart activities is through the Hundreds Chart Mania Center.  This activity promotes understanding of numbers using hundreds charts. The pack includes hundreds charts through 1,000 and three different spinners.  If you like this activity, you can find it here at my TpT store.

Each student gets a hundreds chart and 1 chip.  They start on the green square or the smallest number on that chart. The students spin a spinner and moves the chip the number of spaces they spun. For example, if the student has a chip on the number 10 and they spin a +10, they count and move the chip to 20.  The goal of the game is to be the first player to get to the yellow square or multiple of 100 (i.e. 200, 300, etc.) 

A recording sheet is also included so that students can track their progress.

Be sure to check out part 2 of the post by clicking on the picture below.