Help your 3rd grade students build strong number sense for addition and subtraction using place value understanding with this comprehensive math lesson plan resource. This addition & subtraction lesson plan helps students analyze how numbers change when adding and subtracting 1, 10, and 100 while exploring place value patterns and beginning regrouping concepts. Students also begin recognizing when combining ones creates a new group of ten, helping build the foundation for future addition and subtraction strategies within 1,000. Designed for introduction, guided practice, and review, this scaffolded lesson works seamlessly for whole-group instruction, interactive practice, sub plans, supplemental practice, review lessons, and print or digital classrooms.

Understanding addition and subtraction patterns can be challenging because students must recognize how operations affect different place values within a number. This lesson provides explicit modeling and structured discussion so students learn how adding or subtracting 1, 10, or 100 changes specific digits while other digits stay the same. Students also begin developing conceptual understanding of regrouping by discussing when enough ones combine to make a new ten.

Teachers will love that everything is fully editable, making it easy to adapt pacing, examples, or activities to meet your classroom’s needs, whether you teach paperless, print-based, or a mix of both.

What’s Included:

This complete number sense for addition & subtraction lesson includes both teaching and student materials:

• Printable lesson plan with pacing, prompts, and instructional notes
• Editable Google Slides presentation for instruction (includes speaker notes aligned to the lesson plan)
• Interactive guided practice slides for students to follow along
• Printable guided practice version for print-based classrooms
• Independent practice worksheet (perfect for homework or extra in-class practice)
• Exit ticket and reflection prompts
• Answer keys for all student practice

How to Use It:

Teach this lesson at the beginning of your addition & subtraction unit to help students connect place value understanding to operations. Present the lesson using the Google Slides, model strategies using the guided examples, and allow students to practice using the interactive slides or printable pages.

Because the resource is fully editable, you can:

• Choose digital, print, or hybrid formats
• Adjust examples or pacing
• Use it for whole group, small group, or reteaching
• Assign practice as classwork or homework

Standards Alignment:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.NBT.A.2

Fluently add and subtract within 1000 using strategies and algorithms based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction. 

This lesson focuses on using place value understanding to recognize how operations affect numbers and prepare students for adding and subtracting within 1,000.

Save planning time and give your students the structured support they need to build strong addition and subtraction number sense using place value understanding. Download this editable, ready-to-use lesson and teach with confidence!

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Grab it here → Adding with Expanded Form | No Regrouping | 3rd Grade Math Lesson Plan