100th Day of School

In this Remarkable Idea, explore the number 100 and improve students’ number sense. The hundredth day of school is an exciting opportunity for students to explore the number 100 through activities, discussions, and art projects allowing students to gain a better understanding of what the number 100 means to them.

This activity addresses:

  • Social skills
  • Choice making
  • Cause and effect
  • Fine motor skills
  • Number sense
  • Creative thinking
  • Alternative methods of access

What you need:

Preparation:

1. Using cups, bowls, mason jars, or some other container students can see through, make pairs of 100 and non-100 items such as pennies, cotton balls, or small candies.
2. Count and separate a set of 100 mini pretzel sticks for each student in class.
3. Using a hot glue gun, glue 100 crayons to the top of the canvas side by side.
4. Using school glue, write the number 100 in bubble letters on the middle of the canvas. Make sure you use a thick bead of glue to prevent wax from entering the 100 later on.
5. Create overlays using the AbleNet Symbol Overlay Maker app.

What to do:

Counting to 100
1. Begin by counting 100 days with your students. Explain that there are different ways we can count.
- Give each student a blank ten frame and allow them to fill in each box by coloring, using stickers, or a bingo dotter. Use the ten frames to model counting to 100 by tens. A Step-by-Step can be used to assist with counting by tens.
- Ask student’s how many fingers they have, and how many students they would need to get to 100. Include toes to get students thinking about other ways to make 100.
- Using the coins, ask students how many nickels, dimes, or quarters you would need to make $1.00. Model counting by each. A Step-by-Step can be used to assist with counting.

Thinking about 100
1. Using a blank All-Turn-It Spinner overlay, write talking points such as eat, walk, hold, do, etc.
- Use a Jelly Bean switch to activate the All-Turn-It Spinner and when it lands on a category ask students to think about something they could eat 100 of, or how far 100 steps would get them, etc. This could be modified by using an iTalk2 or 4 and giving students a choice between two things (ex. Could you eat 100: Cheeseburgers or jelly beans.)
2. Using a blank All-Turn-It Spinner overlay, write more than/less than talking points such as “When it rains do you think there are more than 100 or less than 100 rain drops?”, “At the Super Bowl are there more than 100 or less than 100 fans in the stadium?”, or “Are there more than 100 or less than 100 keys on the computer keyboards in our school?”
- Use a Jelly Bean switch to activate the All-Turn-It Spinner and when it lands on a scenario ask students to decide whether it’s more than 100 or less than 100.
3. Present the previously made sets of 100 and non-100 items to students and ask them to guess which container is the one with 100 in it. Use an iTalk2 or 4 to let students decide which container has 100. (record “This one has 100.” and “This one has less than 100.” on each side of the iTalk2 or 4)

Fun with 100
1. Give each student a set of 100 pretzel sticks and allow them to create anything they can with the pretzel sticks.
- Allow students the opportunity to explore the many different images they can create.
2. Place your canvas in a vertical position (on a stand or have an adult hold it) with the crayons at the top.
3. Connect a hair dryer to the PowerLink 4, and connect a Jelly Bean switch to it. Allow students to take turns melting the crayons on the top of the canvas.
4. As the crayon wax melts, it should stay on the outside of the 100 leaving you with a one of a kind piece of art for your classroom made by your students.

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