Building Numbers with Base 10 Frames and Candy Hearts

Objective: Students will practice place value, addition, and subtraction using candy conversation hearts to represent ones and tens.

Materials Needed: 

• Base 10 frames (printable or reusable)
• Candy conversation hearts
• Dry-erase markers (if laminated frames are used)
• Number cards (or dice to generate numbers)

Steps:

1. Provide each student or group with a base 10 frame, a small bag of candy conversation hearts, and a set of number cards or dice.
2. Build the Number: Draw or roll a two-digit number (e.g., 27).
3. Students use the conversation hearts to represent the number on the base 10 frame:
   • Tens place: Fill rows of 10 hearts in the tens section.
   • Ones place: Place individual hearts in the ones section.
4. Decompose and Recompose
   • Have students decompose the number into tens and ones. For example:
     • "27 = 2 tens + 7 ones."
   • Then, challenge them to recompose the number by adding or subtracting:
     • Add 3 hearts to reach the next ten. Ask, "What’s the new number?"
5. Compare Numbers
   • Generate two numbers (e.g. 34 and 29)
   • Have students build both numbers on their base 10 frames and then visually compare:
     • Which is greater?
     • How many more hearts does the larger number have?
6. Practice Addition and Subtraction

• Ask students to add or subtract numbers using their hearts. For example:
• "Start with 15 hearts. Add 12 more. What’s the total?"
• "You have 26 hearts. Take away 14. How many are left?"

Extension Activity:

• Challenge students to group hearts into tens and ones to make higher numbers or even three-digit numbers (for advanced learners).
• Have them trade 10 individual hearts for 1 "ten" row to reinforce the concept of regrouping.

Wrap-Up:

• Discuss how the base 10 frames helped them visualize the numbers and solve problems.
• Students can snack on their hearts at the end or use them for another activity!