The purpose of this activity is for students to notice that the arrangement of a group of objects does not affect the number of objects. Students grab a handful of up to 10 connecting cubes and count to see how many they have. They then rearrange the connecting cubes using a 5-frame and discover that although the connecting cubes are arranged differently, the number of connecting cubes stays the same. This understanding develops over time with repeated experience working with quantities in many different arrangements. Students may continue to recount the objects in this and future lessons until they understand and are confident that the number of objects remains the same when they are rearranged.

• Display 6 connecting cubes. 
• “How can I figure out how many connecting cubes there are?” (You can count them. You can put them in a line and count them.)
• Demonstrate or invite a student to demonstrate counting the connecting cubes.
• “Tell your partner how many connecting cubes there are.” (There are 6 connecting cubes.)
• Rearrange the connecting cubes on the 5-frame, putting each cube in a square and one cube under the 5-frame, as shown:

• “How can I figure out how many connecting cubes there are?” (There are still 6—you just moved them around. You can count them.)
• Invite a student to explain how they know that there are still 6 connecting cubes without counting them again. 
• If needed, invite another student to count the connecting cubes. 
• “There are still 6 connecting cubes. We moved them around, but there are still the same number of connecting cubes.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn Stage 1 of the Shake and Spill center. Students shake and spill 6–10 counters. Because the counters will be scattered when they are spilled, students will likely rearrange the counters to make them easier to count. Both partners count the counters, which allows them to confirm that they have counted accurately. 

As students shake and spill the same number of counters multiple times, they notice that the number stays the same each time. After multiple rounds, students may not need to recount the counters to state how many there are. When students notice a pattern or repetitive action in computation, they look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning (MP8).

• Display 7 counters.
• “Han counted 7 counters. Han’s partner put the same counters back in the cup and shook them up. He spilled them out and counted them. How many counters do you think Han’s partner counted?” (7, because they are the same 7 counters even if they look different.)
• If needed, demonstrate or invite a student to place the 7 counters in a cup, spill them, and count them.

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and counting concepts.

Students choose any previously introduced stage from these centers:

• Shake and Spill
• Math Fingers
• Pattern Blocks
• Picture Books

• “While you played Shake and Spill, did you and your partner get the same number when you both counted the counters? Why or why not?” (We got the same number. We both counted all of the counters one time. The number of counters didn’t change.)