Base 10 Block

What Are Base 10 Blocks?

• Base 10 Blocks are math tools that help us "see" numbers.
• They help us understand Place Value—which means knowing how much a digit is worth depending on where it sits in a number.
• Each block represents a different amount: Ones, Tens, and Hundreds.

The Four Types of Blocks In Grade 1, we mostly focus on the first two, but it’s good to know all of them: 1. Units (Ones)

• These are small single cubes.
• Value: 1
• We use these to count single numbers like 1, 2, 3... up to 9.

2. Rods (Tens)

• These look like a long stick made of 10 small cubes joined together.
• Value: 10
• One Rod is the same as 10 Units.

3. Flats (Hundreds)

• These are big squares made of 100 cubes (or 10 Rods).
• Value: 100

4. Cubes (Thousands)

• These are large blocks made of 1,000 small cubes.
• Value: 1,000

Building Numbers with Blocks To show a number like 23, we look at the tens and the ones:

• The "2" is in the Tens place: So we use 2 Rods (10 + 10 = 20).
• The "3" is in the Ones place: So we use 3 Units (1 + 1 + 1 = 3).
• Total: 2 Rods and 3 Units = 23.

Trading and Grouping One of the most important rules in math is the "Rule of 10":

• If you have 10 Units, you must trade them in for 1 Rod.
• It’s the same amount, just in a different "outfit"! This helps us count much faster.

Lesson Summary

• Units = 1
• Rods = 10
• Use blocks to build numbers by looking at the Tens and Ones places.