Using Place Value to Add

Mr Squeaks and Imani are enjoying a walk in the park on this lovely day. "Imani, look! Butterflies!" "There are SO many!" Mr Squeaks is wondering if he can find out how many butterflies there are. Let's help him by : "Using Place Value to Add"

When we talk about place value, we are discussing the value that each digit has depending on where it is in the number. Mr. Squeaks is adding the blue and the pink butterflies together. There are twenty-five blue butterflies and twenty-two pink butterflies. In order to see how many butterflies there are in TOTAL, we will add twenty-five and twenty-two. When you add using place value, start by representing the first addend using base ten blocks. Remember, the addends are the numbers we are adding together. Our first addend is twenty-five, which is made up of two tens and five ones. We can represent two tens with two base ten rods and five ones with five ones blocks. Our next addend is twenty-two, which is represented by two tens and two ones. We can represent two tens with two base ten rods and two ones with two ones blocks. Now that we have represented the addends with base ten blocks we can begin adding. We can start with the ones place. How many ones are there? Five ones plus two ones equals seven, so there are seven ones in total. After that we can add all of the TENS rods that we see together. How many tens rods are there? There are four tens rods, and if we add them together we get the number forty. Finally, we can add the tens and ones together If we add forty plus seven we get the sum, forty-seven. Wow, there are forty-seven butterlies altogether! Next, Mr. Squeaks and Imani found some things growing out of the ground. They think they should add to find out how many there are. If there are thirty-five dandelions, and twenty-three tulips, how many is that altogether? Remember, FIRST we need to represent the numbers using base ten blocks. There are three tens and five ones in thirty-five, so we will need three tens rods and five ones blocks. Next, we can represent our second number using place value. There are two tens and three ones in twenty-three, so we will need two tens rods and three ones blocks. Now that we have represented the numbers with base ten blocks, we can begin adding. Remember to start by adding the ones place, five ones plus three ones equals eight ones. Then, we can add the tens together. Three tens plus two tens equals five tens, or fifty. Finally, we can add our five tens and eight ones together. How many are there? Fifty plus eight equals fifty-eight, so there are fifty-eight flowers in total! Next, Imani and Mr. Squeaks have found some mushrooms!

If there are forty-six small mushrooms, and thirty-one big mushrooms, how many are there in total? Try this one on your own, how many mushrooms are there altogether?

Remember, start by adding the ones place. Then, add the tens place together. Finally, add the tens and ones together. There are seventy-seven mushrooms! Let's summarise! When adding using place value, remember, always start by representing the addends using base ten blocks. Next, add the ones place together. Then, add the tens place together. Finally add the tens and ones together to get the sum. Now, let's see what Mr. Squeaks has found next! "Wow, look at all the pretty clouds!"

"Wait a second, that one looks just like Imani!" "Imani?"