Menu
Open Sidebar

100 Days of School! Hooray!

March 1, 2023 | Becca Brasser

 

 

How much is 100?

The question occupied nearly the entire 100th Day of School in first grade. Students counted to 100 individually and collaboratively, by 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s. Every student used a collection of items from home or school to sort and count to 100. Some brought basketball cards, pennies, sequins, or beads. Some used shells, connecting cubes, or glass gems from the classroom. They organized their collections in groups of 10 to help them visualize and count to 100. 

On the 100th day of school students also played games, do 100 jumps, filled in empty 100 charts with various drawings, created grids of 100 cubes, and more!

Collaboratively, the students made a huge paper chain of 100 links. As they completed links, they determined how many more would complete it: When 32 were done, they knew they needed 68 more. When 51 were finished, they needed 49 more.

 

A Finished Chain of 100 Links!

 

Another collaborative project was to build a structure with 50 cups + 50 wooden craft sticks = 100 pieces in all!

They came up with as many expressions for 100 as they can: 50 x 2, 99 + 1, 10 + 90, 200 – 100, 10 x 10, etc.

We know that children learn best and build understanding when they use their hands. They transition from concrete, hands-on experiences to abstract understandings. An understanding of the number 100 is an important benchmark in numeracy, and the 100th day provides a multitude of opportunities to experience that number in both concrete and abstract ways.

 

Becca Brasser

Teacher, Grade 1

Becca Brasser has been teaching first grade at Mustard Seed School since 2002. She’s passionate about teaching children to read, write, experiment, and take risks as they explore the world around them. Her own studies (including a Master of Arts degree from New Jersey City University) have given her expertise and experience in the area of literacy education.

Ms. Brasser especially enjoys taking her students on field trips all over the New York Metropolitan area, traveling on foot, subway, bus, commuter train, and ferry. Some favorite trips: the Hudson Hike, the New York Transit Museum, and the Central Park Zoo to study penguins.

Although she lives in the city, Ms. Brasser loves escaping to nature and finding it in her everyday life as well. She loves to explore rivers and lakes, woods and mountains with her husband Matt, their daughter, Annika, and son, Theo.

Related Stories

June 14, 2023

From Ms. Curran: Investigations into 3-D Geometry

Learn More
June 7, 2023

Combining a Service Project and Math

Learn More
April 26, 2023

What is IXL? And Why Do We Love It So?

Learn More