MA 3.06Long Bead Chains: 100 and 1000 Chains
The child lays out the hundred chain and the thousand chain, labels every ten with arrow tickets, and compares each chain with the hundred square and thousand cube.
Presentation
- 1
Hundred chain: lay the chain straight beside the hundred square. Fold it into a square to show they are the same.
- 2
Lay the chain straight. Count the first ten beads one by one, placing unit tickets 1–9 and the blue ticket 10.
- 3
Continue counting by tens, placing tickets 20, 30… 100.
- 4
Read back the tickets by tens.
- 5
Thousand chain (later lesson, with plenty of space): lay out the chain and place the thousand cube at the end.
- 6
Count and label as for the hundred chain; at each hundred, place a red hundred ticket and lay a hundred square beside the chain.
- 7
At the end, the child stacks the ten hundred squares beside the thousand cube: 'Ten hundreds make one thousand.'
Extensions, easiest to hardest
- Count by hundreds along the thousand chain.
- Guide removes tickets; the child replaces them.
- Record numbers along the chain on a long paper strip.
Control of error
The final ticket must land on the last bead: 100 on the hundred chain, 1000 on the thousand chain. Hundred squares laid alongside mark each hundred.
Ready to move on when the child…
- Labels the hundred chain alone without error
- Counts by tens to 100 and by hundreds to 1000
- Explains that ten hundred squares make the thousand cube
Guide note
The thousand chain takes a long time to lay out and label. Plan the space in advance and allow the child to leave it out and return to it over two work periods.