Subject: Mathematics

#4204. Buttons, Buttons

Mathematics, level: Kindergarten
Posted Sun Jun 29 21:14:44 PDT 2008 by Stephanie Mullins (Stephanie Mullins).
Boyd County Schools, Ponderosa Elementary , Catlettsburg, Ky., USA
Materials Required: Various size, color, and shape buttons
Activity Time: 30-40 minutes
Concepts Taught: Number & Algebra, positional words, ordinal position

Lesson Plan
Name: Stephanie Mullins Date: 1/9/08 Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject: Math # 0f Students: 23 # of IEP Students: 6
Major Content: Number and Algebra Unit Title: Begin With Buttons

Lesson Objectives-
Following the lesson and as documented by teacher observations and a checklist the students will be able to:
• identify positions using the terms before, after, and between
• name positions using ordinal numbers
• create a set that corresponds to a given number less than 10
• counting with one-to-one correspondence up to 10
The essential questions that will be addressed include:
• What number words did we use today that tell us how many we have of something?
• What words did we use that tell about order?
• Make a train with 10 buttons or less. How many buttons are in "Jane's" train? In John's?"
• Here is "Sam's" button train. Which button is in the third place? The 10th place?
• Look at your train. Who has a red button in the fifth place?

Connections-
This lesson connects to the Kentucky Learner Goals, Core Content, and NCTM standards by focusing on the concept of number and how to apply it in a real life setting. This unit helps develop the foundation of manipulating numbers up and down the number line by establishing the understanding of before, after, and between, as well as ordinal position. The following learner goals and standards apply:
• AE 1.5 - 1.9
Students use mathematical ideas and procedures to communicate, reason, and solve problems.
• AE 2.7
Students understand number concepts and use numbers appropriately and accurately.
• AE 2.8
Students understand various mathematical procedures and use them appropriately and accurately.
• AE 2.12
Students understand mathematical structure concepts including the properties and logic of various mathematical systems.
Number & Operations Pre-K-2
1. Develop a sense of whole numbers and represent and use them in flexible ways, including relating, composing, and decomposing numbers.
2. Develop understanding of the relative position and magnitude of whole numbers and of ordinal and cardinal numbers and their connections.
3. Use multiple models to develop initial understandings of place value and the base-ten number system.
4. Count with understanding and recognize "how many" in sets of objects.
Context-
This particular lesson is the first of eight in a unit that sets the foundation for addition and subtraction development using buttons and a real world connection (such as a song or story) to bring relevance and interest.

Resources-
 Copy of the song lyrics for "London Bridge" and "Down by the Station"
 Crayons
 10 strip activity sheet per student (put these in students' chair pockets ahead of time to avoid having to pass them out during the lesson)
 Large 10 strip displayed on the board ahead of time for teacher modeling
 1 bag of 10 buttons per student (buttons need to be in a variety of colors, sizes, # of holes, etc. and put in totes for easy retrieval during the lesson)
 Skill checklist for assessment

Procedures-
To open the lesson the students will play/sing London Bridge. This will need to be modeled before starting with the students. Once all the students have been "trapped" instruct one line of students to sit on the floor facing the other line of standing students. Ask the sitting students questions about the standing students, such as:
Who is next to _____?
Who is in line just after _______?
Who is in line just before _______?
Who is between _____ and ______?

Next, have the standing students name their ordinal position in line (first, second, third, etc.). Then ask questions such as who is in sixth place? If students are weak in this go through each position orally as a group.

Now have the students who are sitting stand up and the students who are standing sit down and repeat the same questioning strategies.

Following the second round of questioning, have all students stand up, staying in two lines. Tell the students their lines are going to become trains and that we will be singing the song "Down by the Station" naming our position while we move around the room.

Next, have the students go sit down at their seats and instruct them to get a bag of buttons and a 10 strip activity sheet out of their totes. Tell them you are going to put a number less than 10 on the board and that they are to make a button train on their ten strips using that many buttons. Model with a large 10 strip on the board where the first space is. Tell the students to begin and raise their hand when they have their train completed. Teacher and assistant quickly scan the room and asking questions about specific students' trains. Once all hands are raised, count the number of spaces missing as a group.

Choose various students to come up to the board and write another number 10 or less for the class to make corresponding button trains, counting the number of spaces not used.

Now instruct students to make trains of 10, calling on various students to describe their trains using ordinal position language. For example, I put a small red button in the first space. Tell students you will have them clean up but that they have to listen to the directions for which button to put away first. Teacher gives directions like "put away the button in the third place or position, put away the button in the fifth place, etc. Now that we have put our buttons away, but your button baggies in your tote and 10 strip in your chair pocket."

Tell the students that while they are working in their centers I will be calling them up one at a time to work with them some more on this lesson. This will be the time for their assessments and teacher recording.

Student Assessment-
Pull students up one at a time and have them use a bag of buttons and 10 strip to demonstrate their knowledge of the position words, ordinal numbers, creating a set to a given number less than 10, and counting with one to one correspondence up to 10.

Reflection/Analysis of Teaching and Learning-
I chose to do individualized assessments because in the past, ordinal position has been hard for my kindergarten students and I want to be sure I know exactly who needs more work on the concept before we move on to subsequent lessons in the unit. Also, by doing individualized assessments, I can challenge the more able students to go above the objectives and modify for those who may not be developmentally ready for the objectives.

Lesson Resources-
NCTM's Principles and Standards textbook
NCTM's Illuminations website