1

Level: 2
Common Core Targeted: 2.NBT
Math Focus: Numeration Through 1,000, Addition and Subtraction
Directions:
In this activity you will be building numbers. Each color rod represents a specific digit.
Green = 0

Red = 2

Purple = 4

Yellow = 6

Orange = 8

If you wanted to construct the number 640 it would look like this:

A) Construct and sketch the number 628.

A1) Construct and sketch the number that is 200 more than 628.
A2) Construct and sketch the number that is 40 more than 628.
B) Construct and sketch the number 2,408.
B1) Construct and sketch the number that is 20 more than 2,408.
B2) Construct and sketch the number that is 200 more than 2,408.
B3) Construct and sketch the number that is 2,000 more than 2,408
C) Construct and sketch the number that is double today's date. For example, if today
was
December 3, you would construct and sketch 6.

D) Construct and sketch the following numbers:

D1) 40 + 2
D2) 400 + 60 + 6
D3) 800 + 2
D4) 2,000 + 600 + 4

Extension:
A) What is the largest number that can be represented using two rods?
B) What is the smallest number that can be represented using three rods?
C) What is the smallest number that can be represented using four rods?
D) What is the largest number that can be represented using all five rods?
E) Give one number that cannot be represented using the numbers given.

Answers:

C) Answers Will Vary

Extension:
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)

88
204
2,046
86,420
Answers Will Vary
EXAMPLE: 43 Any odd number

Level: 2
Common Core Standard Targeted: 2.G and 2.OA
Math Focus: Repeated Addition, Geometry Vocabulary
Directions:
The following activities can either be done individually or in partnerships. Questions DF and the extension activities can be used to develop foundations multiplication.
A) Build a square house with a rectangular chimney.
B) Build a rectangular house with a triangular roof.
C) Create a spider with 8 legs. The body must not touch the ground.
D) Build a ladder with 5 rungs. If each rod is worth 2, what is the total value of your
ladder?
Use the values below for questions E - F and the extension questions.
Green = 1

Red = 2

Purple = 4

Yellow = 6

Orange = 8

E) Build your initials. The sum of all the rods must be 20. Sketch your construction and
show how the sum of the rods is 20.
F) Build something worth 40. What did you build? Which rods did you use?

Extension:
A) I built three triangles using the same color. The total value of the triangles is 18.
Which color rods did I use?
B) I built two triangles using the same color. The total value of the triangles is 36. Which
color rods did I use?
C) I built a 4-sided figure using orange rods. The total value of this shape is 32. What
shape could I have built?
D) I built four rectangles using two different colors for each shape. The total value for the
four rectangles is 42. What color rods did I use?
D1) Sketch the rectangles and show how their total value is 42.
Answers:
A) Creations Will Vary
B) Creations Will Vary
C) Creations Will Vary
D) Answers Will Vary
E) Answers Will Vary
F) Answers Will Vary
Extension:
A) Red
B) Yellow
C) Square or Rhombus or Diamond
D) Green and yellow rods

Level: 2
Common Core Standard Targeted: 2.MD & 2.NBT
Math Focus: Money, Making Change, Repeated Addition
Directions:
Use the values below to answer the following questions:
Orange = 5 cents

Yellow = 4 cents

Red = 2 cents

Purple = 3 cents

Green = 1 cent

A) How much would a triangle made of purple rods cost?

B) How much would a square made of yellow rods cost?
C) How much would a rectangle made of orange and green rods cost?
D) How much less would a rectangle made of purple and red rods cost than a rectangle
made of orange and green rods?
E) I am thinking of a four-sided shape that is worth 12 cents. Construct it then sketch it
below. What shape did you construct?
E1) Can you think of a different four-sided shape that is worth 12 cents and has
different rods than your first shape? Construct this shape then sketch it below.
What shape did you construct?
E2) If a friend wanted to buy one of your shapes and gave you a quarter, how
much change would you need to give him in return?
E3) If this friend decided that he wanted both of the shapes, would he have
enough money to buy them if he only had a quarter?
F) The value of each rod has now doubled.
F1) How much would a square made from purple rods be worth?

F2) You wish to purchase the following rods. What would your change be
if you gave the cashier a $1 bill?
4 orange rods
1 yellow rod
5 red rods
2 green rods
F3) What is the fewest number of coins you could get as change from your purchase?
What are these coins?
Answers:
A) 9 cents
B) 16 cents
C) 12 cents
D) 2 cents
E) Answers Will Vary
EX: Square made of purple rods
E1) Answers Will Vary
EX: Rectangle made of orange and green rods
E2) 13 cents
E3) Yes - Both shapes would cost 24 cents combined
F1) 24 cents
F2) 28 cents change
F3) 4 coins - 1 quarter & 3 pennies

Level: 2
Common Core Standard Targeted: 2.MD
Math Focus: Standard and Non-Standard Measurement, Estimation
Directions:
A) Measure the length of a orange rod using a ruler. How many inches long is it?
B) Measure the length of a yellow rod using a ruler. How many inches long is it?
C) Based on your answers above, about how long do you think a purple rod would
be? Why?
C1) Measure a purple rod using a ruler. How long is it?
D) Measure one edge of your desk using yellow rods. About how many rods long is your
desk?
E) Next, you are going to measure the edge of your desk using red rods. Before you
actually measure, estimate how many red rods long your desk would be. Explain your
answer.
E1) Measure the edge of your desk using red rods. About how many rods long is
it?
F) Measure a friends arm using green rods. Approximately how many green rods long is
it?
G) Next, you are going to measure your friends arm using purple then orange
rods. Before you actually measure, estimate how many purple and orange rods long your
friends arm is.
Purple rod estimate:

Orange rod estimate:

Why did you choose this number? Why did you choose this number?

G1) Measure your friends arm using purple rods then orange rods. Approximately how
many rods long is it?
Purple:

Orange:

Extension:
A) Discuss the student's results as a class. Talk about the relationship between the results
of the different rods based on their sizes.
B) Display the students findings using a bar graph or pie chart.
Answers:
A) 12 inches
B) 8 inches
C) Answers Will Vary
C1) 6 inches
D) Answers will vary depending on size of desk.
E) Double the number of yellow rods used in the above question.
F) Answers Will Vary
G) Purple = of the amount of green rods
Orange = of the amount of green rods
G1) Answers Will Vary

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Level 2

(2.G CCSS)
Make any shape using as many rods as you'd like

Make a pentagon using only green rods and connectors

Build a triangle with all the sides of equal length

Use 2 different colored rods to form a quadrilateral (can use more than 2
rods, but make sure to use only 2 colors)

(2.OA CCSS)
Individual work leading into groups for developing foundations for multiplication(?)
For example,

Each student builds a 3-sided shape of their choosing. Students then form
groups of 3. Now how many sides in total are there? (Teachers can play with
different numbers, and can assign different groups separate numbers so that
students have a different problem to solve.)
Build a square house with a rectangular chimney.
Build a rectangular house with a triangular roof.
Create a spider with 8 legs. The body must be a hexagon shape and must not
touch the ground
Build the letter B out of two pentagons.
Construct a ladder with 10 steps.
If each red rod is worth 2, each green rod is worth 3, and each yellow rod is
worth 6, build a zig-zag line worth 32. Repeat this another time