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Science project idea

Base-ten blocks from matchsticks, matchboxes and a carton

A single matchstick is one, a bundle of ten is a ten, a flat of ten bundles is a hundred and a box of ten flats is a thousand. Seeing the sizes side by side shows why 1,000 is so much more than 100.

Make it yourself8 numbered steps, the materials and the science, all free.Go to the stepsGet a ready-made kitReady-made models, kits and spare parts in the store under Maths.Browse MathsAsk on WhatsAppAsk the head office whether a model or kit for this idea is available.Send a message

What it shows

A single matchstick is one, a bundle of ten is a ten, a flat of ten bundles is a hundred and a box of ten flats is a thousand. Seeing the sizes side by side shows why 1,000 is so much more than 100.

The science

Place value is easiest to understand when each place has its own size. A ten is made of ten ones, a hundred is made of ten tens and a thousand of ten hundreds. When the pieces are real, a child can see that 342 is 3 flats, 4 bundles and 2 loose sticks, and can trade one bundle for ten sticks to subtract.

Materials

Cost: free. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.

  • About 1,200 used matchsticks or broom sticks (free)
  • Rubber bands or thread for bundling
  • Ten flat cardboard sheets 12 cm by 12 cm
  • A small carton for the thousand
  • Glue
  • Labels

Safety

For this project: Use burnt or headless matchsticks only, or broom sticks, so there is nothing to strike.

Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.

All the safety rules

Step by step

8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.

  1. Count out 10 sticks and tie them into a bundle with a rubber band. Make 100 such bundles. Counting in tens on a table keeps the count honest.

  2. Glue 10 bundles side by side on a card sheet to make one flat. Make 10 flats.

  3. Stack the 10 flats inside the carton and label it one thousand.

  4. Keep 9 loose sticks, 9 bundles and 9 flats in separate trays for building numbers.

  5. Build 342 with 3 flats, 4 bundles and 2 sticks, and write the number in expanded form: 300 + 40 + 2.

  6. Add 342 and 279 with the blocks: 11 sticks become a bundle and a stick, 12 bundles become a flat and 2 bundles, giving 621.

  7. Subtract 342 take away 158: trade one bundle for 10 sticks and one flat for 10 bundles, then remove 1 flat, 5 bundles and 8 sticks to leave 184.

  8. Display the four sizes in a row from one stick to the full carton with a label saying how many sticks are in each.

What you should see

Visitors can see and count that the thousand box holds 1,000 sticks, and the model shows 342 + 279 = 621 and 342 take away 158 = 184 with real trading.

Viva questions

A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.

1How many bundles make one flat?

Ten bundles of ten, which is 100 sticks.

2What number is 2 flats, 0 bundles and 7 sticks?

207. The zero holds the tens place.

3Why do we trade a bundle for ten sticks when subtracting?

When there are not enough loose sticks, we borrow a ten and break it into ten ones so we can take away.

4How many sticks would ten thousand need?

Ten cartons, which is 10,000 sticks.

Free ebook: Viva Questions for Science Projects

Take it further

Use the flats to show decimals: let a flat be one whole, a bundle one tenth and a stick one hundredth.

Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.

Free ebooks for this project

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