Grade
2

How Many Are Hidden? Beans in the Basket

The number of beans in both pictures is the same. How many are hidden in the basket? How do you know? How can you finish the equation to make it true?

The picture on the left shows 10 blue beans and 5 red beans. The picture on the right shows 8 blue beans and a basket with an unknown number of red beans. The equation is blue 10 + red 5 = blue 8 + red blank.

What do you notice about how the blue number changed? What about the red number?

In the equation blue 10 + red 5 = blue 8 + red blank, the 10 changed to 8. How would the 5 change to make the equation true?
  • Now there are more than 15 beans. You get to decide how many!
    How many could be hidden in each basket? How do you know?
  • Complete the equation to make it true.
    What do you notice about how the numbers changed?
The picture on the left shows a basket with an unknown number of blue beans and 10 red beans. The picture on the right shows a basket with an unknown number of blue beans and 7 red beans. The equation is blue blank + red 10 = blue blank + red 7.
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