Use your pieces to make this 7 puzzle. Everyone finds a way. Encourage students to record the pieces they used but do not focus on writing equations.

Give students time to think, puzzle, trace, share and compare Give students time to think, puzzle, trace, share and compare. Then start a class discussion.

Give students time to think, puzzle, trace, share and compare Give students time to think, puzzle, trace, share and compare. Then start a class discussion.

5 + 2 2 + 5 Did you find a way with 5? Show me Write a card for 5 + 2 Could we also write 2 + 5 Teacher writes and posts the cards 5 + 2 2 + 5 Some students are fine with breaking apart the 2 in their head and thinking how it could fit.

Show me another way you can make this 7?

2 + 3 + 2 Teacher writes the card. 5 + 2 2 + 5 2 + 3 + 2

Can you relate these 2 ways. Do you see 5 in both? (2 + 3) + 2 5 + 2 5 + 2 2 + 5 2 + (3 + 2) 2 + 5 2 + 3 + 2

Here’s another way. Do you notice it is reflected Here’s another way. Do you notice it is reflected. (facing other way now.

You might want to create a card to represent the (2+2) we used to make the 4. 5 + 2 2 + 5 4 + 3 2 + 3 + 2 (2 + 2) + 3 (2 + 3) + 2

Which ones can you find in this puzzle? 5 + 2 2 + 5 4 + 3 2 + 3 + 2 (2 + 2) + 3 (2 + 3) + 2

Leave the expression cards on the board and finish the session by inviting students to build some different 7 puzzles with their Chunkz. Trace with their dry erase markers. Some students may choose to label their puzzles with the expressions from the board. End of 15 minute lesson.

Lesson 2 Show the new puzzle. Today we want to link back to the expression cards we made and maybe add to them. So direct students to find ways to see the expressions in the puzzle.

Can you make this puzzle using 5 + 2 2 + 5

5 + 2 2 + 5

Can you make this puzzle using 2 + 3 + 2

Can you make this puzzle using 3 + 4 4 + 3

Teacher writes a card for 6 + 1 and states: I know that 6 + 1 is another way to describe 7. And if 6 + 1 works then we can also write 1 + 6. Can you see a 6? Can you use your Chunkz to demonstrate 6 + 1? 6 + 1 1 + 6

6 + 1 1 + 6 I see 3 + 3. That is 6 I see this would be 6 if I drew a line here.

1 + 6 6 + 1 ) A student might do the same using three 2s. A student might position a 5 and explain that is how they knew there was a 6 and then point out that there is room for one more to make 7. 1 + 6 6 + 1

Leave the expressions on the board again and finish this 15 minute practice by inviting students to again practice making 7 puzzles. But today build them on regular paper and use a marker or a pencil to trace the puzzle they create. These puzzles we will save and share with other students in other classes. Once they have built a puzzle they can show ways to make it using the expression cards and as they do they can write their own cards or write beside their puzzle the expressions they matched.

Session 3: Switch the focus to the small cards. Give students a small card and have them use their Chunkz to build the life size copy. Encourage students to record expressions they can find to describe their puzzle. They could trace the small version and then draw in the lines and label the parts in a series of small diagrams.

I keep tracing my card and showing ways to build the 7. 5 + 2 3 + 2 + 2 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 (2+2) + 2 + 1 (4) + 2 + 1 (2+2 + 2) + 1 (6) + 1

Students now know how to use the small cards to practice building and describing Puzzles for 7. They can trace and explain. I also attached a couple worksheets that already have the 7s made. Students can show how the parts fit and record expressions.