Target 50

Summary

Students explore place value and comparing numbers through a game using 2 digits to find the number closest to 50.

Curriculum content

• Understand that the position of a digit in a number affects its value
• Compare and order numbers

Addition and subtraction

• Add and subtract 2-digit numbers

Materials

Card sets

• 1 set of Mathletics number cards 0 to 9 0-9

Concrete

• 10 counters

Printables

• 100 chart (optional but recommended) Download 100 chart - CAL Download 100 chart - Tabloid-CA
• Place value grid (optional)

How to play

Set up

1. Shuffle or mix up the cards and place them face down in a pile.

Rules

1. Each player takes 2 number cards from the pile.
2. Each player arranges the digits to make the number closest to 50.
3. Both players calculate the difference between their number and 50.
4. The player with the number closest to 50 gets 1 counter.
5. Repeat.
6. The winner is the first player to get 5 counters.

Variations

CHANGE it down

• To emphasize place value, ask students to make the number using place value cards, or ask them to put the digits on a place value grid:

CHANGE it up

• Ask students to turn over 3 cards and to find the number closest to 500.
• Add a bonus reward if a student is within 10 of 50.

What to look for

• Do students use the language of tens and ones?
• Are students able to compare numbers successfully?
• Do students recognize that a larger digit in the tens column always makes a bigger number?