Ten Ways to Play and Learn With Counting Bears

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I'm sure that every preschool and kindergarten classroom has and uses counting bears (or other counters) in some way!  Many homes have them as well, and they can be a fun and simple way to spend some learning time.  We use these Baby Bear Counters from Learning Resources, but if bears are not your thing you can also find pets, people, jungle animals, vehicles, dinosaurs,or even fruit ! My favorite thing about them is how versatile they are.  I easily sat and taught my 2.5 year old and my 4.5 year old at the same time, giving them each different tasks and moving back and forth between them.

There are lots of cute printables available that you can use to play with your counters.  They're stylish and colorful, and if you have the time and desire to use them then that's fantastic.  But by golly, sometimes you just need to grab a bucket of bears and entertain your kids for a while without having to think about it ahead of time.  Of course you can count them, but there are lots of other ways to use them.  Keep these simple ideas in your back pocket for the next time you need a super quick lesson.

1. Count Them

Work on basic one-to-one correspondence.  Set out a row of bears and let your little one practice counting.

2. Skip Count With Them

 Set them out in rows of 2, 5, or 10 and practice skip counting.  Lena was working on counting by 10s in this picture.

3. Sort Them By Color

Set out one bear of each color and have your little one put the rest in the correct piles.

4. Work on Greater Than/ Less Than

 Set out a small pile and a large pile.  Ask which is greater, more, less, fewer, equal.  Practice using those words.

5. Use Them to Measure

 Get out some books or toys (or a ukulele) and practice non-standard measurement.  How many bears long is the object?  This ukulele was about 12 bears long.

6. Use Them for Basic Math Facts
Set out simple math problems.  2 bears + 2 bears = 4 bears.

7. Make Patterns with Them

 Younger children can make basic A/B patterns while older children can work on more complicated patterns.

8. Make Shapes or Words With Them

Arrange them into shapes or letters.  Use them to spell simple words.

9. Wash Them

Hand your kiddos a bowl of water, some bears, a squirt of soap, and a rag.  Bath time!

10. Use Them for Imaginative Play
I know my girls love to plunk them around, make them talk, put them to bed, wrap them up, and so on.  Encourage your children to do the same!

- Original source---See more at: http://www.cuttingtinybites.com/2015/01/10-ways-to-play-and-learn-with-counting.html#sthash.xv9GGUaC.dpuf

Tangram App for 1st graders

Tangram Puzzles for Kids at ABCya!

This would be fun to use for centers or have students play when they finish classwork early.

How to Teach Subitizing for Numbers 1-4

How to Teach Subitizing: 1 – 4

The comparison of numeracy to literacy is curious.

Learning math is the opposite of learning to read. When you read, usually simultaneous to learning a language, you sound out words and then put meaning to them. When you learn to count and do math, you know the meaning inherently and then put a language to it.

At some point we learn to recognize words without sounding them out. And at some point we learn to recognize quantities without counting them out. This is called subitizing.

The Your Baby Can Read program uses the concept of subitizing to teach reading – you show your baby the word alongside the object. So the shape of the word car is as recognizable as a car itself.

The children using Your Baby Can Read don’t learn to sound out words. They don’t understand the concept of letters any more than babies not using the program. But they instantly recognize the shapes of the words – giving them an (assumed) advantage.

Aside: We didn’t use the “Your Baby Can Read” program, not because it was gimmicky (I love anything that looks gimmicky), but because there is a huge DVD element to it. We decided not to put Daughter in front of the TV for her first 2 years. A decision we stuck with, but sometimes was a struggle! This article contains a “your baby can count” type program. (And it’s a free download!)

How did we learn subitizing?

I don’t recall having been taught it directly. Although I could be wrong. The research on it has been happening since the early 1900s, so it might have been taught without being labeled “subitzing.”In a previous article about why learning to subitize is important, Christine Guest commented that she learned it out of frustration for counting with chanting.I wonder how many of us do that. Are grownups so adept at subitizing that they forget that’s how we assess quantity? Maybe we’re taught to chant-count because that’s the way we think counting is.

How do you teach subitizing?

Images are accompanied by the written numeral as well as the number spoken aloud. The images would be printed on cards, done via video or “live” with 3D objects. I’m still working on the numbers 5-10 and up, but for the numbers 1-4, the following 8 styles of image sets would be done twice. Once using the same objects for each image set, and once using different objects for each image set.

1. Organized in a row vertically.
2. Organized in a row horizontally.
3. Organized in a row diagonally.
4. Organized in a row other way diagonally.
5. Organized in a regular shape (triangle, square).
6. Organized in a differently oriented regular shape.
7. Organized in an irregular shape.
8. Organized in a different irregular shape. (There will be more of these for 4 than 3, etc.)

The objects could be blocks, cars, little dolls, just about anything. I created the set below from blocks I found left in Daughter’s block set. Each zip file contains a few .jpg files with 4″ x 6″ pictures. You can print them at home or ship them to Walmart,Target, CVS, etc. for printing. I left off the MathFour.com logo so the kiddos wouldn’t get distracted. Please share them along with links back here.

• Subitizing with One
• Subitizing with Two
• Subitizing with Three
• Subitizing with Four

Click here for original source!

Subitizing Digital Flash Cards

Click the image above to view the subitizing flash cards.  Use these with kindergarten and first grade students to help them with number sense.

Subitizing Plates

I know you may be thinking, "Well, duh, easy enough to make and no explanation needed." Well, that is true, BUT I made a little presentation on the plates that I hope you watch and enjoy! 

There you have it!! And this is not just a Kinder or 1st grade thing--it's never a bad thing to work on strengthening number sense! Go make some dot plates!! To help you out a little, I am including a page of suggested dot arrangements. Click the pic below to download your freebie!

 

Triangle-Circle Clown

By Keren Perles

If your child is just learning the difference between different types of shapes, you can review them by making a triangle-circle clown. Your child will enjoy creating an entire picture out of nothing but circles and triangles of different sizes. This clown craft also makes a good activity for birthday parties or other gatherings with several young children.

What You Need:

• Construction paper
• Craft foam, fabric scraps and other materials
• Scissors
• Poster board (optional)

What You Do:

1. Before the activity, cut out circles and triangles of various sizes. A few of them should be about the size of an adult hand, some of them should be the size of an adult fist, some of them should be the size of a child’s fist, and some of them should be even smaller than that. Cut the shapes out of various materials – whatever you have handy.
2. Tell your child that you'll be making a picture of a clown using only triangles and circles. Ask your child which shape would work best for the clown’s head. Then ask which one would work best for the clown’s hat. Have her try out the combination by putting two of the largest shapes together and see if it looks like a clown’s head with a clown’s hat. Adjust as needed.
3. Help your child glue these two pieces onto a piece of construction paper or a large piece of poster board to make the clown’s head and hat.
4. Now ask your child which shapes would work best as the clown’s body. His feet? His hands? There is no right answer to these questions, but help your child arrange the pieces until she's satisfied with how her choices look, and then glue them down. Keep in mind that strings of circles may work for arms or legs.
5. Follow this same process to add two eyes, a nose, and a mouth to the clown. Then help your child decorate the rest of the clown’s body with smaller circles and triangles. Voila! A circus clown made from shapes!

If your child has also learned about squares or other shapes, you can include those on the picture as well.

Sorting Autumn Leaves!

By Tina Cho

Here's an easy and fun fall activity to do with your preschooler. Enjoy the outdoors and the fall season by taking a nature walk with your child, collecting pretty leaves, and sorting them. Not only will this simple project help your child learn valuable math and science concepts of sequencing and size, but she'll also get a chance to appreciate the beauty of nature and its changing seasons as she creates a pretty leaf collage.

What You Need:

• 4-5 different-sized leaves
• 12" x 18" construction paper or two 8.5" x 11" papers taped together
• Glue

What You Do:

1. Take a nature walk. Gather four or five of your child's favorite colored leaves from a park or your backyard. If you live in a four-season climate, take advantage of the brilliant crimson, gold, and brown leaves. If you live in an all-year sunny climate, just collect interesting leaves of various types and sizes.
2. When you get home, spread the leaves around your work table. Point out the different sizes of leaves to your child, small, medium, and large. Ask her to put the leaves in piles of small, medium, and large. For very young kids, you can sort into just small and large leaves.
3. Put your large piece of construction paper on the table. Tell your child she can line the leaves up from smallest to largest. Have her put the smallest leaf to the left and the biggest leaf on the right side of the paper. Continue asking her questions such as “Which leaf comes next? Which leaf is the next biggest?”
4. Once she has them lined up correctly, show her how to make small dots of glue on the backs of the leaves. She can then glue the leaves on the paper from smallest to largest. (Make sure she glues them back on in the right place.)
5. Have her write her name on the paper and lay it aside to dry.

When it's finished, you now have a wonderful, autumn leaf collection to hang on your wall as a decoration. Refer back to this helpful visual whenever you ask your child questions about relative size. You can also use it to discuss with her the four seasons and how the trees change with each season.

Tina Cho has been an elementary teacher for 11 years, mainly in the kindergarten classroom. She is currently a freelance writer.

Classifying Objects FUN!

Give your child's quantitative and verbal skills a boost by encouraging her to play with and describe all kinds of items! Simple actions such as grouping and counting items based on their similarities and differences will enable her to master more complicated math concepts down the line such as odd and even numbers, integers, as well as multiplication and division.

By classifying articles based on color, shape, size and texture and then discussing each object's characteristics with your child, you'll also greatly expand her vocabulary as well as her sorting abilities.

What You Need:

• Lots of items for sorting and categorizing

What You Do:

1. Go to the store and buy a bunch of stuff that you need around the house. Encourage your child to help you put the items you purchase away. Ask her to describe each item she's putting it away in terms of basic attributes such as shape and texture.
2. Let your child help put away the dishes. Ask her to explain why she's putting each object in a specific place. Then, have her count the number of objects in each pile.
3. Go on a hunt around the house for fun things to categorize. We used coins, buttons and books, but you don't have to limit yourself to these objects.
4. Tell your child to sort the items you found based on color and size and how they're used. Finally, ask her to count the objects in each group.
5. Have your child separate her toys into piles. Ask her to identify talk about differences in shapes and sizes that she sees.

When classifying objects with your child in more regimented activities, and even in day-to-day life, try to use words to compare and contrast objects that are based on their similarities and differences. Size, texture, shape, and overall appearance are all important qualities that should be considered. Always count groups of items you see around the house. Eventually, you'll be ready to count by multiples and explain odd and even numbers.

Click here for original activity source!

Egg Carton Sorter

By Korey Marquez

Identifying colors is a necessary skill that people use every day—for choosing which clothes to wear, reading signs, following traffic signals and describing the surrounding world. Introduce your child to this bright new world of colors using ordinary household objects such as buttons, beads, and marbles. She can group these objects into different sections and learn to recognize their written names using a homemade egg carton sorter. This activity provides an interactive, colorful way for your preschooler to practice color recognition!

What You Need:

• Paper egg carton (half-dozen or full dozen)
• Paint or markers in 6-12 different colors
• Writing pen
• Small, brightly-colored trinkets such as buttons, beads, or glass stones

What You Do:

1. Help your child paint the lid of the egg carton with white paint or cover it with plain paper.
2. Have your child make a small spot of each color on the egg carton lid. Write the name of the color above it with a pen.
3. On the inside of the carton, use paint or markers to designate a color for each as well.
4. Ask your child to sort the trinkets according to color, placing each one in the appropriate well. Start a conversation about the different colors with your child as you sort, asking her to name the color or point to it as she sorts each trinket. Show her the word on the lid that corresponds with each color.

To store the activity for later use, simply close the carton lid with the trinkets inside. The contents will be kept sound and ready for the next color sorting exercise!

Foot Fun!

By Latrenda Knighten

To understand measurement, kids need direct experiences with comparing and ordering objects. But that doesn’t necessarily mean sitting down with a ruler. It might mean figuring out which jump rope is the longest, or which ball is larger than the bouncy ball, but smaller than the basketball. This measurement activity uses feet to compare objects, but not the ones found on rulers and measuring sticks…the feet on your child’s own body!

What You Need:

• Construction paper
• Markers
• Scissors
• Household objects
• Your family’s feet!

What You Do:

1. Trace a copy of your child’s right foot onto construction paper. Give her a stack of the paper and ask her to trace each family member’s right foot on a separate sheet. Cut out each foot pattern and label it with the name of its owner. Examine the foot patterns and discuss similarities and differences. Who has the biggest foot? The smallest? Are any of them the same size? Ask your child to place the foot patterns in order from largest to smallest and from smallest to largest.
2. Much of measurement is about comparing things. Challenge your child to use her foot cut-out and find something longer than, shorter than, and about the same size as her foot. Give her construction paper and markers and ask her to trace a model of these items. Recording findings is an essential organizational tool and helps your child learn how real-life mathematicians and scientists record their findings in order to discuss their work with others.
3. Ask your child to choose another foot pattern to measure things around your home. For example, how many Dad foot lengths long is the kitchen table? How many Mom foot lengths wide is the refrigerator? Use the foot cut-outs from other family members to measure the same household objects and compare the results. Did it take more or less Mom foot lengths to measure the kitchen table?
4. Ask your child to walk from his bedroom to the front door. How many steps does it take? Record the number on a piece of paper and then have another member of the family do the same thing. How many steps does it take them? Was it more or less than your child’s answer? Discuss why. Then graph your results. An easy way to do this is to write the names of each of the family members on the bottom of a piece of paper, going left to right. Above each name, draw the number of feet it took to reach the door. (For example, if it took 12 steps, stack 12 foot pictures on top of each other.)

With practice like this, your child is sure to enjoy measuring up!

Latrenda Knighten has spent 19 years teaching in a variety of elementary school classrooms, from kindergarten through fifth grade. For nine of those years, she taught kindergarten. She also served as an elementary school math and science specialist. She lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Autumn More or Less

By Sue Bradford Edwards

Encourage your child to compare and contrast a wide variety of autumn-themed items as she learns to weigh the various objects and record her findings.

What You Need:

• Autumn-themed objects such as acorns, leaves, sweet gum balls, small pumpkins and gourds  Include something that is deceptively heavy or light, such as the gourd
• A postal scale or kitchen scale
• Paper
• Pencil

What You Do:

1. Don’t let your child handle anything yet because some of the weights might be surprising.  Start this activity by reviewing what you’ve gathered with your child. Does she know what everything is? If not, name the items and explain to her what they are. 
2. Which item does she think is heaviest? Place that on the far left of the table. Which does she think is the lightest? Place that on the far right. Now, help her organize the remaining items from heavy to light. 
3. Have her help you zero the scale as you explain that the scale is a tool that measures weight.  Now it is time to weigh the item she thought was heaviest and write down the weight, including the unit of measurement. Working from heavy to light, weigh each item and record the results.
4. Once all of the items have been weighed, look at the numbers. Are there any surprises?  What items weighed more than she thought they would? Which weighed less? 
5. Help her arrange the items across the table from heavy to light, this time working from the measurements themselves. Are the heavy items always bigger than the lighter items? Why does she think that some things weigh more than others? 

Expand on this activity by comparing the weights of her favorite snacks (apples vs grapes) or any other small items.

Estimation Breakfast

By Liana Mahoney

Remember that old carnival game where you had to guess how many jellybeans were in a jar? Well, guessing is more than pure fun, it’s also a key part of kindergarten math. Here’s how to bring it to the breakfast table!

What You Need:

• Box of cereal with just one general shape and size (ex. Cheerios or Chex)
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Baggie

What You Do:

1. The word estimation sounds a bit intimidating. Start by explaining to your child that when we estimate, we’re just making a good guess about how many of something we see.
2. Ask your child to scoop out a spoonful of cereal using the spoon. Then ask her to estimate how many pieces are on the spoon, without counting them.
3. Once she’s made her guess, count the cereal pieces together. Ask your child, “Was your estimate close?” and “Were there more or less pieces on the spoon than you thought?”
4. Dump the spoonful of cereal into the plastic baggie. Then scoop a few more spoonfuls into the bag (four is plenty) and ask your child to estimate the total. Once she’s guessed, count the cereal pieces in the baggie and ask the same two questions, “Was your estimate close?” and “Were there more or less pieces than you thought?”
5. Dump the contents of the baggie into a bowl and add some more cereal to it. Ask your child to estimate how many pieces are in the bowl. Now pour in some milk, and have her count as she eats them up to see how close she got!

Make a Bungee Scale

By Sue Bradford Edwards and Pam Schiller and Lynne Peterson

Because your child’s favorite plush cat is bigger than a small brick, she probably thinks Kitty weighs more. But weight is more complex than the size of an object. Introduce the concept of weight to your child by making a fun and easy-to-use bungee scale! This project will enhance your child's understanding of weight and will even provide her will a foundation for understanding more complex scientific principles such as density and gravity.

What You Need:

• A large plush toy (we used a kitty)
• A dense object (we used a brick)
• A variety of other objects, some of which are deceptively heavy or light
• Bungee cord
• Bucket
• Roll of paper
• Marker

What You Do:

1. Find a rod with a wall behind it to build your scale. You can use a rod in a closet or perhaps a rod on a rolling rack set near a wall.
2. Fasten the bungee cord to the bucket. You may need to wrap the bungee cord around the bucket’s handle and secure the fastener to the cord itself.
3. Hang this from the rod.
4. Place the objects that you plan to weigh near the scale. You will need a large plush toy (kitty), a smaller dense object (brick), and a variety of other objects.
5. Don’t let your child pick anything up yet, but explain to her that she is going to help you arrange the objects by how much they weigh. Begin with Kitty and the brick. Which does she think is heavier?  She will probably say her toy since it is bigger. Set them back down with the object she thinks is lighter to the left.
6. Now show her another one of the objects. Does she think it is lighter than Kitty? Heavier than the brick? Or somewhere in the middle. Arrange the objects in order, lightest to heaviest.
7. Take a photo of the row of objects so that you can compare this line up with the results you get when you weigh each object.
8. Explain that you are going to weigh things using your scale. The heavier each object is, the farther down the bucket will go. 
9. Have her put the plush toy in the bucket. How far does the bucket drop? Draw a mark even with the top of the bucket. Label the mark – Kitty.
10. Now weigh the brick. Again, make a mark at the top of the bucket and label the mark – Brick. It is lower than the mark for the Kitty because the brick weighs more.
11. Continue until you have weighed each object and marked it on the paper. Arrange the objects by their actual weight. How does this line up compare to the lineup in the photo?

As an add-on to this activity, encourage your child to arrange the objects on the ground in order of their weight.

Adapted with permission from "Count On Math: Activities for Small Hands and Lively Minds." Copyright 1997 by Pam Schiller and Lynne Peterson. Used with permission of Gryphon House, Inc., Maryland. All Rights Reserved.

10 Ways to use 10 Frames

Post Written and Created by Math Maniac

Clip art by Whimsy Clips

My students are so engaged by the changing of the seasons and learning with a theme that I try to incorporate the seasons into what we do each day. Because some members of our school community are not really into celebrating holidays in the classroom, I try to stick with lots of activities around the different seasons rather than specific holidays. Fall is a great time to bring pumpkin, apples and leaves into the classroom. When I saw this great set of 10 frame clip art byGraphics From the Pond I knew I wanted to make a new set of 10 frame cards.

When I made a set of cards and spend time and money putting them on cardstock or laminating them, I want them to serve more than one purpose. Ten frames (andtwenty and five frames) have so many uses in the classroom, so I put together 10 ways to use these cards with kids. These activities work great in Kindergarten and first grade classes and can be used for whole group, math centers or interventions. With the mix of ten frame cards and numeral cards, it is easy to differentiate the activities to meet a diverse group of needs.

10 Frame Flash

This makes an excellent whole group, small group or partner activity. Simply flash the 10 frame at your students for 1-3 seconds and then ask them how many pumpkin seeds they saw and how they know they are right. Read more about this here!

Matching Numerals and 10 Frames

As a whole group game this can be a lot of fun and a great way to work on numbers to 10! Pass out 10 frames and numerals and ask kids to find their match. You can then display them on a pocket chart and talk about what they see. Kids can also do this on their own or with a partner. Spread out all the numeral cards and make a pile of the 10 frame cards. Have the student(s) pick a card from the 10 frame pile and find it’s match in the numeral pile. You can also switch this around and spread out the 10 frame cards and have them pick a numeral card.

10 Frame Memory

An easy twist on a classic game! This game is great for kids to play with a partner or in a small group. Simply mix all of the cards together, do a bit of shuffling and then arrange in a rectangular array. If your students are not ready for all the 10 frames you can pick and choose. Just make sure you have the corresponding numerals and 10 frames!

Note: Your students should be familiar with matching 10 frames before trying this activity!

Sequential and Non Sequential Ordering

These activities can be done as a large group by giving each kid a number (until you run out!) and having them get in order from least to greatest. It also works great as an individual task or a partner activity. Once kids have the cards in order, it is a great time for kids to practice counting forward and backwards. Makesure your students get a chance to put numbers in order that are not sequential aswell. This activity can be done with just the numeral cards or with both the numeral and 10 frame cards together.

Roll and Build

This is a simple and effective game! All you need is some blank 10 frames, 10 sided dice and pumpkin seeds. If you don’t have pumpkin seeds bingo chips or other small markers will work just as well. Students can play alone or with a partner. Roll the die, and build that number on the ten frame. This goes much faster if kids do not remove the bingo chips each time but just add more or take some off as they roll. The pumpkin seeds I used got rinsed off and left out for a few hours on a towel to dry. The kids had a lot of fun with them!

Odd and Even Sort

These cards are a great way to practice odd and even numbers. Using the 10 frame cards is easier than just the numerals but when your students are ready go ahead and use them all! Check out more ways to work on odd and even.

Flip and Write Combinations of Ten

You can never have to many games for combinations of 10 and this is a great one requiring little teacher prep. Give the student a stack of 10 frame cards or numeral cards if they are ready. Have them flip over a card and write an equation showing how many seeds they see and how many more they need to make 10. I usually have kids create their own record sheet for this activity on a piece of scrap paper. It saves prep time and money! You also might want to check out computer games for combinations of 10.

Make 10 Go Fish

This is one of my students’ favorite games for practicing combinations of 10. Mix two sets of the ten frame cards together. Shuffle and distribute 4-5 cards to each player. Have each kid look for matches that make ten. For example the 3 and the 7 are a match and the 6 and the 4 are another one.

When all matches have been found in individual player’s hands, have them play go fish. If I have the 2 card in my hand, I would ask another player, “do you have the 8 to go with my 2 to make 10?” That player would respond “yes I do or no I don’t have the 8 to go with your 2 to make 10. This language can be challenging to students when you first start but they will catch on quick!

Read more about how I use this game in the classroom and see some pictures of the game in action.

Pyramid 10

This is played like the classic solitaire game pyramid. Mix two sets of ten frame cards together or use one set of ten frame cards and one set of numeral cards if your students are ready. Students make a pyramid and find matches that make ten.

Read more about how my students play pyramid and see more pictures!

Mystery Card (Addition and Subtraction)

This is a fun game and a nice challenge when students are ready. This game must be played in groups of 3. Two players choose a 10 frame card and place them on their foreheads. The third player finds the sum of the two numbers on their foreheads and tells what it is. Then each of the players with cards on their heads looks at the other person’s card and tries to determine what card they have. This lets one student practice adding 2 numbers under 10 while the other two students practice solving missing addend or subtraction problems. The 10 frame visual really supports this learning.

I like to change out the 10 frame playing cards with the seasons to keep things fresh for my students! You can grab the pumpkin playing cards here or the spring seeds card set here.

Pumpkin Math

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

Post Written and Created by Math Maniac

This story is about a group of kids who are asked by their teacher to figure out how many seeds are in 3 different pumpkins. They talk about the size of the pumpkins, estimating and counting ideas. Some kids count by 2's some by 5's and some group the seeds into piles of 10. There is also some great information in this story about how to estimate how many seeds a pumpkin has just by looking at the outside.

I love this lesson because it combines my love of math literature with counting and estimating routines. I began this lesson by presenting my students with 2 pumpkins. I did this lesson with second graders but it would work with other kids K-3 with some small adaptations. One was a very small Jack be Little pumpkin and the other was a larger pie pumpkin. I asked them to estimate which one had more seeds. Everyone was convinced that the larger pumpkin would have a lot more seeds. We made some estimates but they were really all over the place ranging from 17-1000.




Next we cut the pumpkins in half and adjusted our estimates based on what we saw. The estimates for the smaller pumpkin ranged from 80-200 and the estimates for the larger pumpkin ranged from 101-320.


The inside of the larger pumpkin



Inside of the smaller pumpkin

Kids worked in small groups and got all the seeds separated from the other guts. When I do this lesson again, I will be sure to have more pumpkins because despite this being a smaller group of students, there were to many kids working on each pumpkin. I would recommend no more than 4-5 kids per pumpkin for optimum working conditions. Kids continued to adjust and refine their estimates as they put the seeds all in one place. It was obvious to all students that there were more seeds in the large pumpkin than the smaller one.


After a quick rinse of the seeds, the groups counted them mostly grouping into 10's. We came to the conclusion that the small pumpkin had 134 seeds and the large one had 285. We spent some time comparing these numbers and wiring them in different ways. We finished up the lesson by reading the book. It was interesting for kids to compare their own experience with counting the seeds to the experience of the kids in the book.

This was a fun fall lesson and definitely one I will be doing in the future! There are a lot of grade levels that I could apply this lesson with.