Zero and Ten
Primary 1 · Mathematics
Zero and Ten
Lesson 1 of 3
10 min
Let's begin
Mugisha eats beans from a small bowl at home.
He eats the last one. Then he looks inside the bowl.
There is nothing there at all. How many beans are in the bowl?
Today you will learn the number for none.
Nothing at all has a name. It is called zero.
Zero is a real number. You can count it. You can write it.
You write zero like this: 0.
Start at the top. Go round, and come back to the top.
Look at an empty bowl. It holds 0 beans.
Look at an empty desk. It holds 0 books.
Hold up a hand with no fingers up. That hand shows 0.
Draw 2 rows of 5 boxes. That is a ten frame. Put in no beans. The frame shows 0.
Worked example
7 + 0.
Mugisha holds 7 beans in his hand.
He puts in 0 more beans.
Count his beans again. He still has 7.
7 + 0 = 7
Careful! Some children say 8. They add 1 for the zero. Zero adds nothing at all.
It works the other way round too.
0 + 5 = 5
You had none. Then 5 came. Now you have 5.
Worked example
9 - 0.
Keza has 9 avocados in a basket.
She gives away 0 avocados.
Her basket still holds 9.
9 − 0 = 9
Worked example
6 - 6.
Uwase has 6 stones. She gives all 6 to Mutesi.
Her hand is empty now.
6 − 6 = 0
Careful! Do not leave an empty space on your page. None is a number. Write 0.
Tip
Zero is none, but you still write it
Add 0 and nothing changes. Take away 0 and nothing changes.
An empty bowl is not an empty page. An empty bowl is 0.
The zero song: an empty plate has none
Do each one, then tap Show answer to check.
8 + 0 = ?
Answer: 8. Zero adds nothing.
4 - 0 = ?
Answer: 4. You took away none.
5 - 5 = ?
Answer: 0. Every one of them went. Write the 0.
0 + 6 = ?
Answer: 6. You had none, then 6 came.
Gatete has 3 eggs in a bowl. He takes out all 3 eggs. How many eggs are in the bowl?
Answer: 0. The bowl is empty, so we write 0.
What you learned today
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