Using the familiar base 10 blocks, this activity is most useful for explaining the concept of internal zeroes. Students can clearly see the necessity of each and every digit - especially those pesky zeroes!
![Place Value Base 10 Blocks](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3c7aab_5818c8e64b4e45f6b70765f0cb6019c3~mv2_d_2304_1820_s_2.png/v1/fill/w_980,h_774,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/3c7aab_5818c8e64b4e45f6b70765f0cb6019c3~mv2_d_2304_1820_s_2.png)
Students Will:
Sort blocks and Twisters from left to right in descending order
Learn to manage internal zeroes
Vocalise their learning
Lesson Materials:
Place Value Twister
Base 10 blocks
Lesson Preparation
Put some thought into how you want to structure the groups in this activity, and the sort of numbers you’re wanting your students to tackle. If you set this up carefully, students can run this in groups themselves, or else you can extend the activity with an adult-led group. If students are running the show, make sure they’re confident with trading.
Lesson Procedure
Allocate students their space, their range (thousands, hundreds, or tens) their Twister and their base 10 blocks.
Place an assortment of base 10 blocks in front of the students. Have them sort them, from left to right, in descending order.
Once sorted, place the Twister Cups with the corresponding base 10 blocks. Pay particular attention to the internal zeroes - if there is one, make sure the cup is placed in that space, as a zero!
Make the number, articulating as you go.
Lesson Differentiation
If students are not yet up to the concept of internal zeroes, you can make it a rule that each place needs to have at least one base 10 block.
For students who are confident, this game can incorporate trading. For instance, give the students 15 blocks of ten, and watch them trade for one hundred block, and 5 tens.
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