🔢 MathLevel 1Lesson 6
← Back🔒 PDF with full access

Place Value — Tens and Ones

Lesson preview: the Mini Lesson and Vocabulary are open to everyone. Guided practice, exercises, the parent checklist and the printable PDF worksheet come with full access (free 7-day trial or membership).

Learning Objectives

  • 1Break a two-digit number into tens and ones
  • 2Read a tens-and-ones block diagram
  • 3Write a number in expanded form
📘

Mini Lesson

Every two-digit number is hiding a secret — it is really a group of tens plus some leftover ones. Place value helps us see inside numbers!

Tens and ones

  • The tens digit is on the left — it tells how many groups of ten.
  • The ones digit is on the right — it tells how many singles are left over.
  • Example: 34 = 3 tens + 4 ones = 30 + 4

Base-ten blocks

  • A ten-rod (long blue bar) = 10 single units joined together.
  • A one-cube (small orange square) = 1 single unit.
  • Count the rods for tens, count the cubes for ones, then combine.

Expanded form

  • Write the number as an addition sentence showing its tens and ones.
  • Example: 47 = 40 + 7 (4 tens = 40, 7 ones = 7)
  • This shows exactly what each digit is worth.
Base-ten blocks showing 34 as 3 tens and 4 onesThree blue ten-rods on the left representing 30, and four orange one-cubes on the right representing 4, totaling 34. A place value table below shows the tens digit 3 and ones digit 4.34 = 3 tens + 4 ones3 tens = 304 ones = 4+Place ValueTensOnes34the number: 34Expanded form: 34 = 30 + 4Ten-rod = 10One-cube = 1Count rods → tens digit. Count cubes → ones digit.
Base-ten blocks for 34 — three blue ten-rods (30) plus four orange one-cubes (4) — with a place value table and expanded form.
Three place value examples: 21, 45, and 10Three labeled number cards showing 21 equals 2 tens plus 1 one, 45 equals 4 tens plus 5 ones, and 10 equals 1 ten plus 0 ones.More Examples212 tens1 one20 + 1= 21454 tens5 ones40 + 5 = 4510none1 ten0 ones10 + 0 = 10
Three place value examples — 21, 45, and 10 — each shown with ten-rods and one-cubes plus the expanded form.
💡

Ask yourself: "How many rods? That is my tens digit. How many cubes? That is my ones digit."

Vocabulary
Place value
What a digit is worth based on where it sits in the numbere.g. In 34, the 3 has a place value of 30.
Tens
Groups of ten — shown by the left digit in a two-digit numbere.g. 34 has 3 tens.
Ones
Single units — shown by the right digit in a two-digit numbere.g. 34 has 4 ones.
Expanded form
A number written as the tens plus the onese.g. 34 in expanded form is 30 + 4.
Base-ten blocks
Math blocks where a long rod stands for ten and a small cube stands for onee.g. Three rods and four cubes show 34.
Free · 7 days · No credit card

Unlock the full HSEA system for 7 days.

Add your first kid profile and your 7 days start: every lesson in every grade, saved progress for each child. Nothing to set up, no card required, nothing to cancel.

  • ✓ All 1,680 lessons, Grades 1–6, every subject
  • ✓ Profiles + saved progress for every kid
  • ✓ Printable lessons with answer key
Start your 7-day free trial →
Already convinced? See full membership plans →
← Lesson 5: Understanding ZeroLesson 7: Ordering Numbers →