This activity is designed to have students add and subtract by making up to 10 and working back through 10.
As an alternative to using empty tens frames and counters for the people, you could use egg cartons chopped down to 10 sections and plastic teddy bears for people.
Using the equipment to model the people getting on and off the train helps the students to see the tens frames filling and emptying. In question 1, the students have to work out 24 – 6. Ask them to look at the train and tell you how many are in the last carriage (four). Ask them how many more they need to take off so that six people have left the train. If they take off two more, how many will that leave in the second carriage? They can repeat this process for questions 2 to 4.
Encouraging the students to imagine what will happen helps them to develop images of the tens frames. When you think they are ready, try similar problems where you model with the equipment and then mask one or all of the carriages. Can the students visualise going back through 10 and making up to 10?
As an extension, you could ask the students this question:
“Another train started with 28 people on board. The same number of people got on or off at Palmerston North, Otaki, and Paraparaumu stations as in the students’ booklet. After Paekakariki station, there were 18 people onboard. Use tens frames to work out how many people will be on the train at each station.” Ask the students to solve this problem and discuss their solutions.

Answers to Activity

1. 18
2. 26
3. 9
4. 9