Number Line Task Cards

The Common Core standards call for students to use number line strategies flexibly and efficiently. I realized that while my 3rd and 4th grade students were familiar with basic number line concepts, they were struggling to understand them beyond the surface level expectations of the grade 2 standards (namely 2.MD.6). They could create number lines with 1-unit intervals starting at 0, but had difficulty working with number lines beyond this level.

I decided that in order for my students to be able to rely on number lines as a problem-solving strategy, I needed to provide rigorous, targeted, and scaffolded instruction centered around number lines. I created this set of task cards to help students dig deeper into number line concepts so that they will be able to use them proficiently and independently. This deeper understanding is crucial in order for students to fluently apply number line strategies to addition, subtraction, rounding, estimation, and other problem-solving tasks.

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This set of task cards is designed to reflect the same level of rigor that the Common Core demands, and that standardized testing such as the PARCC will assess. These task cards are likely to be quite challenging for many students. Based on the needs of your class, you may need to model and/or work through some of the problems collaboratively before releasing students to work independently.

Although the 3rd and 4th grade standards include creating and interpreting fractional number lines, I felt it was important for my students to first gain a solid foundational knowledge of using number lines with whole numbers. This set of task cards ONLY uses whole numbers. I plan to create a similar set that will deal with fractions on the number line.

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There are 3 sets of 12 task cards included in this resource (36 total task cards). Each set is available in both color and black and white, with answer keys included.

SET A
•12 Task Cards (color AND black and white versions)
•Student Recording Pages
•Answer Keys
•Students must draw a number line given a starting number, ending number, and interval size

SET B:
•12 Task Cards (color AND black and white versions)
•Student Recording Pages
•Answer Keys
•Students must determine the interval size of a partially labeled number line

SET C:
•12 Task Cards (color AND black and white versions)
•Student Recording Pages
•Answer Keys
•Students must determine the number represented by a point on a partially labeled number line

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ALSO AVAILABLE:
Open Number Lines: Task Cards

Make sure to check out my other math resources in my store!

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© Blair Turner 2014
Materials are intended for personal use in one classroom only. For use in multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses.