The Common Core Standards ask students to explore number relationships and see numbers as parts that are put together. To help with this, part-part-whole workmats are used. Below is a lesson using them to teach students how to count on and why counting on is an effective method to solve problems.
Materials:
Part-Part-Whole Workmat – Download here
Manipulatives of Two Colors (Unifix Cubes work great!)
Steps:
1. Give each student a part-part-whole workmat and two different sets of Unifix Cubes.
2. Pose several part-part (putting two objects together) word problems to students.
An example: Jack went to the store and bought 6 red apples and 2 green apples. How many apples did Jack buy? Draw a diagram to solve the problem and explain your thinking.