Concept 1 of 6
Tally Marks
Today's big idea
Draw a line for each thing; the fifth line crosses to close a bundle of 5.
Two bundles and three lines is 5 + 5 + 3 = 13.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
Counting a big pile? Tally marks keep your place.
💡 Here's the trick
Draw one line for each thing. The fifth line goes across the first four, making a bundle of 5.
Four lines with one across is 5. Two bundles and three more lines is 5 + 5 + 3 = 13.
✍️ Try it
How many is one bundle and two lines? → 7.
⚠️ Watch out
The line across counts as the fifth, not an extra one.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“One bundle of five and three more lines. How many is that?”
- 1
A bundle is five
One closed bundle = 5, and 3 loose lines.
- 2
Add them
5 + 3 = 8.
- 3
Answer ✓
8
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Each closed bundle is 5. Count them up.
How many is that?
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
A row has two bundles of five and one extra line. How many is that?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Making a Tally Table
Tally into rows, then count each row.