Introducing the Blocks

Focus Building models and developing number

sense for the powers of ten
he Digi-Block materials enable students to discover, for themselves, the important relationship between the various places in our number system. The emphasis in this section is on making and naming the blocks as well as realizing that each larger block has 10 smaller ones inside it. It is important for students to note that the blocks all look the same except for size. This similarity leads students to conclude that they can operate on all the blocks in much the same way. With new materials, it is always best to provide some time for students to become familiar with them before focusing on mathematical ideas.

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Making Larger Blocks

Give each small group of students a container of single blocks and some small holders. Allow time for students to explore these materials in any way they choose. They may discover, through their free explorations, that they can create larger blocks. If they dont, present the task as a challenge:

How can you make a larger block using the small blocks and the holders?
Allow time for all students to build the larger block and to discuss how to do so. Some students may suggest that they can create a larger block by covering one holder with another, even when it is not full. If no student brings this up, you should wonder aloud if that would work. Ask the students to try this and see what happens when they try to pick up such a block by one of its halves. They will discover that the cover slides or that the block falls apartuntil it is full, it is not a complete block. Through this design feature, the Digi-Block system ensures that there are always exactly 10 blocks inside a larger block.

Stand small blocks in the holder in an upright position. When the holder is full, use another holder as a cover.

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Now that the students have created a larger block, ask them how many small blocks are inside it. Make sure that students are convinced that the answer is always the same: 10. Tell the students, or elicit from them, that a good name for the larger block is block-of-10. It is best, at least initially, to call this item a block-of-10 rather than a ten block or ten. The preferred term emphasizes two important ideas: (1) that this object is one block, and (2) at the same time, it is made up of 10 ones. Also, refer to the holders as simply that, holders. They hold ones, but they become a blockof-10 when closed. With this duality, to call them either ones-holders or tensholders would be confusing. The single blocks may be referred to as singles or ones, whichever you prefer. Help students discover that they can also make a block-of-100 and a block-of1000. Give each student two of the medium-sized holders and ask,

How can you make even larger blocks?

Students will naturally mimic the way in which they packed the single blocks. That is, they stand the blocks-of-10 upright in the holder. When the holder is full, they place another holder on top as a cover. Again, if the holder isnt full, the cover slides off or the block falls apart, signaling that the block is not complete. Ask,

How many blocks-of-10 are there in one of these larger blocks?

Encourage the students to remove the cover to count. Allow them to do this until they are convinced that the answer is always the same: 10. Many students may know that 10 tens is equal to 100, but some may not. Encourage the students to unpack a block-of-100 to blocks-of-10. At that point, they can remove the covers and either count the singles or unpack these blocks as well. Once it is confirmed that there are 100 singles, identify the name of the block as a block-of-100. Students should also have the opportunity to make a block-of-100 from a collection of single blocks. Finally, students can use 10 blocks-of-100 to build a block-of-1000. As a cooperative class effort, they might also begin with the single blocks and make a block-of-1000. They will continue to explore the relationships among single blocks, blocks-of-10, blocks-of-100, and blocks-of-1000 throughout the unit. Safety note: A block-of-1000 weighs 18 pounds! Dropping this much weight could cause injury.

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Building Number Sense
While the size of the blocks offers powerful visual clues to the size of the numbers they represent, it is important for the students to see the number of single blocks within each block as well. Have a volunteer place a single block on a piece of paper. Place a label reading 1 block on or near the paper. Then hold up a block-of-10 and ask,

When you unpack a block-of-10, how many single blocks will there be? Will they fit on a piece of paper this size, or do we need more paper?
When students have unpacked the block-of-10 and placed the single blocks on the paper, put the label 10 blocks near the arrangement. You may also want to put a packed block-of-10 nearby. Show a block-of-100, ask the same questions, and have several volunteers unpack the blocks to check. Again, label the collection of single blocks 100 blocks and place a packed block-of100 nearby. Finally, repeat the process for a block-of-1000. If possible, take pictures of each collection to display in the classroom for ongoing reference. Such pictures can serve as benchmarks in estimation activities throughout the year.

Extending Relationships Among Powers of Ten

Ask students to imagine the size of the next-larger block. Students can construct a model of this block or at least indicate its dimensions. (The class set is packed in a box the size of a block-of-10,000.) Ask, How many single blocks will be inside the next-larger block? (10,000) What would we call it? (block-of-10,000) How many blocks of a thousand would be inside it? (10) What will it

look like? Do you think you could lift it? Do we have enough blocks in the classroom to fill it?
Ask the same questions regarding even larger blocks. Just as the blocks provide an image of ever-higher powers of ten, they can also provide an image of decimal fractions. Ask students to imagine unpacking the single block, or one, into ten smaller blocks. What would be the size of the tiny blocks inside? How many would there be? (10) What would we call one of them? (one-tenth)

Then suppose you could take one of these new tiny blocks and unpack it. How many tinier blocks would we find inside? (10) What would we call one of the tinier blocks inside?
(one-hundredth)

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With mental images of both smaller and larger blocks, students can explore further the relationships among the powers of ten. For example, at this point students should realize that there are always 10 of the next-size-smaller blocks inside a larger block. They can also investigate the relationship between blocks that differ by two sizes. Ask,

How many single blocks are there in a block-of-100? How many blocks-of-10 are there in a block-of-1000? How many blocks-of-100 would there be in a block-of-10,000?
Each time, they will find that inside a larger block, there are 100 blocks that are two sizes smaller. Encourage students to generalize their thinking by asking,

How many blocks of one size are inside a block that is two sizes larger? How many blocks of one size are inside a block that is three sizes larger? Give examples.
Encourage your stronger students to include examples that refer to blocks larger than 1000 and smaller than the single blocks. Finally, since the Digi-Block materials exactly model the base ten system, they can also be used to introduce more advanced students to exponents. A block-of10 has been packed up once (101), a block-of-100 has been packed up twice (102), and a block-of-1000 has been packed up three times (103). A single block has not been packed at all (100), and one-tenth has been packed down once (10-1).

Practicing Key Ideas

All About 100 and 1000
Individually or in pairs, students gather 100 single blocks. They then investigate the blocks and write about their findings. Possibilities include:

We are taller than a row of 100 blocks (placed on edge, side by side). 100 blocks fit into my lunchbox. 100 blocks weigh less than the dictionary.
Encourage students to share their findings and perhaps place them in a class book about 100. Students can repeat this activity with 1000 single blocks.

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Assessing Learning
1. Show the student a block-of-100 and ask,

How many blocks-of-10 are inside? How many single blocks are inside?
Does the student answer correctly for blocks-of-10? for single blocks? count the blocks or know without counting? 2. Show a container of 100 blocks and ask,

Are there about 10, 100, or 1000 blocks?

Does the student correctly identify that there are about 100? 3. Show the student a block-of-1000 and ask,

How many blocks-of-100 are inside? How many single blocks are inside? How many blocks-of-10 are inside?
Does the student answer correctly for blocks-of-100? for single blocks? for blocks-of-10? count the blocks or know without counting?

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