Digit Detectives Game Mats Digit Detectives 2-Digit Roll Mat
Tens • Ones • Low Prep (Roll regular dice • No cutting • No spinners)
Level 1 Workmat Dice Powered
Dice Launchpad (Roll 1 or 2 standard classroom dice) Regular 6-sided dice or 10-sided dice
Tens Die
Roll 1st
Ones Die
Roll 2nd
Mystery Twist Roll Key (Case #4) Roll 1 die!
Roll 1: +10 Ten
Roll 2: -10 Ten
Roll 3: Swap Digits
Roll 4: +1 One
Roll 5: +20 Tens
Roll 6: Code Lock!
Tens Column
Tens
Each Rod = 10
Quick Sketch: Draw Rods (|)
Sketch Your Tens Rods Roll 4 = Draw 4 rods (||||)
Tens Digit:
Ones Column
Ones
Each Unit = 1
Quick Sketch: Draw Circles (○)
Sketch Your Ones Circles Roll 3 = Draw 3 circles (○○○)
Ones Digit:
2-Digit Expanded Form Equation Tens Value + Ones Value = Secret Number
Tens Value _____
Ones Value _____
=
Standard Number _______
Word Helper: ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety • one, two, three, four, five...
Low prep: Just print and grab classroom dice! No scissors and no spinners required. Page 1: 2-Digit Mat
Digit Detectives 3-Digit Vault Mat
Hundreds • Tens • Ones • Roll 3 dice • No cutting • No spinners
Level 2 Workmat Dice Powered
Vault Dice Rolling Bays (Roll in order OR roll 3 and place strategically!) Classroom Dice
Hundreds
Die 1
Tens
Die 2
Ones
Die 3
Vault Twist Dice Key (Vault Case #4) Roll 1 Die!
1: +100 Flat
2: -100 Flat
3: +10 Rod
4: -10 Rod
5: Swap H & O
6: Code Lock!
Hundreds
Flats
Value = 100 each
Draw Squares: (□)
Sketch Squares Roll 3 = Draw 3 squares (□□□)
Digit:
Tens
Rods
Value = 10 each
Draw Rods: (|)
Sketch Sticks Roll 4 = Draw 4 rods (||||)
Digit:
Ones
Units
Value = 1 each
Draw Circles: (○)
Sketch Circles Roll 2 = Draw 2 circles (○○)
Digit:
3-Digit Expanded Form Vault Formula Hundreds Value + Tens Value + Ones Value = Secret Code
Hundreds ______
Tens ______
Ones ______
=
Secret Number _______
Word Helper: one hundred, two hundred, three hundred... twenty, thirty, forty, fifty... one, two, three...
Low prep: Just print and grab classroom dice! No scissors and no spinners required. Page 2: 3-Digit Mat
Digit Detectives Recording Sheet Digit Detectives Case File
Level 1: Two-Digit Investigation • Tens & Ones • Roll & Record
Mission Target Roll • Expand • Compare
Detective:
Date:
Partner:
1 Case #1
Roll dice for Tens & Ones
Expanded Form Equation
Partner Comparison
> < =
Number in Words:
2 Case #2
Roll dice for Tens & Ones
Expanded Form Equation
Partner Comparison
> < =
Number in Words:
3 Case #3
Roll dice for Tens & Ones
Expanded Form Equation
Partner Comparison
> < =
Number in Words:
4 Case #4: Mystery Roll Twist!
Roll 1 Die for Mystery Key
Expanded Form Equation
Mystery Roll Effect
e.g. +10 or -10
Number in Words:
Sleuth Rating:
(Color stars for completed cases!)
Greatest 2-Digit Number Today:
Digit Detectives Vault Log
Level 2: Three-Digit Investigation • Hundreds, Tens, & Ones • Roll & Record
Expert Mission Flats • Rods • Units
Detective:
Date:
Partner:
1 Vault Case #1
Roll 3 dice for H, T, and O
Expanded Form Equation
Word Form:
Compare: > < =
Digit Detectives Station Guide Station Guide Roll & Play
Print & play • Standard dice only • No scissors • No spinners • Solo or 2–3 peers
Dice Powered Grade 2 • 1–3 Players
4-Step Detective Mission (Follow in Order)
Self-Directed Center Routine
1
Roll Dice
Roll standard classroom dice to get your digits for each place value column!
2-Digit: Roll 2 Dice
2
Sketch On Mat
Quickly sketch in the vault columns: Squares (100), Sticks (10), Circles (1).
□ = 100 • | = 10 • ○ = 1
3
Write Equation
Record expanded form on your Case File: 400 + 30 + 8 = 438. Write the number word name!
Use Mat Word Helper!
4
Showdown!
Compare numbers with peers using >, <, or =. Greater number earns a badge star!
Solo? Order Least to Most!
Self-Check Detective Decoder (Before Asking the Teacher!) Independent verification
Hundreds Check
The hundreds digit always has 2 zeros in expanded form! Example: 6 hundreds = 600
Tens Check
The tens digit always has 1 zero in expanded form! Example: 8 tens = 80
Compare Check
The hungry alligator mouth opens wide toward the larger number! Example: 521 > 384
Teacher Notes • Low-Prep Setup & Differentiation
Classroom Dice Station
Pure Print & Play
Zero cutting, zero spinners, zero prep! Just put a small bowl of standard 6-sided dice (or 10-sided dice) and pencils at the station.
Tier 1: Tens & Ones
Print Page 1 of the Game Mat and Recording Sheet. Students roll 2 dice to build rods (|) and circles (○), sketch, and expand.
Tier 2: Strategic Choice
Have 3-digit players roll 3 dice simultaneously and strategically choose which digit goes into Hundreds, Tens, or Ones to create the highest number!
Print and go: No cards to cut, no spinners to assemble, no pieces to lose! Station Guide • Display at Station
Digit Detectives Teacher Guide Digit Detectives Teacher Guide
Station Setup • Launch Script • Common Misconceptions • Conferring Prompts
CCSS 2.NBT.A.1, 3, 4 Low-Prep Station Guide
Two-Minute Station Setup (Zero Prep • Zero Scissors) Print & Go
1. Choose Level
Page 1: 2-Digit (Tens & Ones).
2. Prep Workmats
Print 2–4 Game Mats. Slip into reusable dry-erase sleeves so students can sketch and wipe clean, or use as visual reference mats.
3. Supply Station
Place regular 6-sided dot dice (or 10-sided dice) and pencils in a small bin. No scissors, cards, or spinners to assemble!
5-Minute Mini-Lesson Launch Script (Say This to Your Class) Direct Modeling
“Detectives, today you have secret number codes to crack!” Hold up the Game Mat. “You will roll your dice to get your mystery digits. If you roll a 4 for Tens and a 3 for Ones, you build 4 rods and 3 circles. What is the value of 4 tens? Forty! And 3 ones? Three!”
“Next, write the expanded form equation on your Case File: 40 + 3 = 43, and spell forty-three using your Word Helper. If you are playing with partners, compare your codes—whoever cracked the greater number earns a badge star!”
Diagnostic Misconceptions • Quick Interventions What to look for
Reversing Digits (e.g., 52 vs 25)
Mistake: Confusing tens with ones place.
Fix: Have the student point to the rods: “How much is 5 rods? 50! Does 52 start with 5 tens or 2 tens?”
Expanded Form “Face Value”
Mistake: Writing \(4 + 3 = 43\) instead of \(40 + 3 = 43\).
Fix: Use the decoder rule: “Does 4 rods equal 4 or 40? Tens always need 1 zero in expanded form!”
Inequality Sign Direction
Mistake: Flipping > and < symbols.
Fix: “Draw 2 dots by the larger number and 1 dot by the smaller number, then connect the dots to make the alligator jaws!”
Teacher Conferring Questions (Ask Students at the Station) Formative Assessment
Prompt 1: Place Value Meaning “What is the value of the digit in the tens place? How many ones are hiding inside that rod?”
Prompt 2: Mental Shifts “If you rolled 10 more than your current number, which digit changes? Which digit stays the same?”
Prompt 3: Comparison Logic “How did you know your partner’s number was greater without counting each single one?”
Targeted Differentiation Options Universal Design
Support (Tier 2/3)
Use Page 1 (2-digit only). Allow physical base-ten rods to be placed directly over the mat columns before recording.
