Grades K–2 · Mathematics
How can different parts make the same whole?
A whole set can be made from different parts. There are six counters altogether. Two belong to one part and four belong to the other. Every counter is included once.
In the diagramOne whole can have different partsThe whole has 6 countersSplit 12 + 4Split 23 + 3Both pairs make 6.Move counters between parts; keep the whole.
Moving one counter across changes the parts to three and three. The parts now look different, but the whole still has six counters. No counter was added or taken away.
An empty part has zero counters. Zero and six can also make this whole of six. The parts do not have to be equal; they just have to include the whole set without leaving out or counting a counter twice.
About this explanation
Starting knowledge: Count up to eight objects and recognize when a pictured group is empty.
Sources
- Common Core State Standards Initiative — Kindergarten: Decomposing numbers in more than one way (K.OA.A.3)