Mathematics Lesson Design
Lesson Title: Number Stories for Kindergarten
Creator: Susan Hardy
Grade Level: K
Big Idea: Strand 1 Number and Operations
Essential Question: How do we use numbers to tell stories? How can number stories
help us understand addition and subtraction and the “+” and “-“ signs?
Content Standards and Objectives, Learning Skills and Technology Tools Standards and
Objectives
CSO: M.O.K.1.8: use concrete objects to model addition and subtraction of whole
numbers related to sums of 10 or less and write corresponding number sentence.
CSO: M.O.K.1.10: create grade-appropriate picture and story problems, using a variety
of strategies, present solutions and justify results.
Learning Skill: 21C.O.PK-2.2.LS.3: Student engages in a problem solving process
using objects to solve problems and demonstrates learning by explaining how they
solved the problem.
Technology Tools: 21C.O.PK-2.1.TT.7: Student, working in a teacher-led whole group
project, uses presentation software to illustrate concepts and communicate ideas.
Launch/Introduction:
(suggested time 15-25 minutes)
Activating Prior Knowledge:
The students will have had some early experiences using everyday language to
tell number stories. Using the Math Word Wall, review some of the terms to be used in
this lesson. Using the ELMO, present the story “Rooster’s Off to See the World” by Eric
Carle at the beginning of this lesson to help them recall that prior knowledge. This story
is an excellent source for showing number sets, addition and subtraction. Discuss how
the rooster’s number of friends grew each time he met a new group. Talk about how the
group got smaller each time one group of animals left. Use the everyday language terms
such as larger, smaller, add, take away, remove, more, less, join.
Specialized Vocabulary Development:
Add, subtract, equal, more, less, larger, smaller, remove, join, + sign, - sign, = sign,
operation, number sentence, unifix cubes, Smartboard*, ELMO*
Investigate/Explore:
(Suggested time varies from 30-40 minutes)
Retell the story letting students act it out using puppet masks of the animals.
Discuss with the students different strategies for figuring out the answers to the
questions. Ask the students if two cats join one rooster, how many animals will you have
in all? On the numonics board (SMARTBOARD), have one student write 2 + 1 = 3.
Then build from that problem. If 3 animals are joined by 3 frogs, is the group larger or
smaller? Are we putting groups together or taking away from the group? How do you
know? How many in all, now? What operation are we using if the groups are getting
larger? What sign do we use when we add? A student will write on the SMARTBOARD,
3 + 3 = 6. If we have 6 animals and 4 turtles come along, what is our number sentence
now? Did we add or subtract? Another student will write 6 + 4 = 10 on the
SMARTBOARD. If these 10 animals are joined by 5 fish, how big is the group now?
Write 10 + 5 = 15. Are we still adding? How do you know?
Ask for volunteers to figure out how the story changes. Ask the students what
happens when the animals begin to leave? What operation do we use to show groups
getting smaller? What happens when the 5 fish swim away? Does the group get larger
or smaller? Are we adding or subtracting? How do we show subtraction? Pick a
different student to write the subtraction sentence for 15 – 5 = 10. Ask questions such
as: Is the group getting smaller? Why is the group getting smaller? Repeat the activity
for 10 - 4 = 6, 6 – 3 = 3, 3 – 2 = 1.
Students may be able to just count the students acting out the story, some may
need to count fingers, and some may need to use manipulatives (unifix cubes) to count.
Allow students who have trouble using mental math to use manipulatives (unifix cubes)
to model the story.
Guide the discussion to show that in the first part of the story, the group of
animals got larger and in the second part of the story the group got smaller. Again,
discuss the difference in the operations used.
Give the students the opportunity to create their own number stories. In small
groups, the students may act it out, model it using manipulatives (unifix cubes), and/or
draw it, as they present it to the class. They can use the Smartboard or the document
camera (ELMO) when presenting their stories to the class.
Summarize/Debrief the Lesson (suggested time varies from 15-40 minutes)
Summarize the story, “Rooster’s Off to See the World” by Eric Carle. Ask the students
questions such as:
“What did the numbers in the number sentences represent?”
“What happened in the story that let us know when to use the + symbol and when to
use the – symbol?”
“What operation do we use when groups are put together? What symbol do we use?”
“What operation do we use when part of a group is taken away? What symbol do we
use?”
“How did the story help us to understand the symbols + and -?”
“Did using the story help us to understand the difference in the symbols?”
The teacher will informally assess the students as they present their number stories.
Materials:
“Rooster’s Off to See the World” by Eric Carle, unifix cubes, numonics board
(Smartboard), document camera (ELMO), previously made puppet masks
Duration: 1 hour
Teacher notes:
Students will have had some experience with number stories at various levels
prior to this lesson. Addition, subtraction and number stories are spiraled in the Everyday
Math series used in our county.
*The numonics board and the document camera are commonly referred to as the
Smartboard and the ELMO (brand names) respectively in the classroom. Students are
familiar with these terms.
The puppet masks can be optional but if used should be made ahead of time.
Paper plate masks or round discs are ideal for creating these puppets. Puppets would
be needed for 1 rooster, 2 cats, 3 frogs, 4 turtles and 5 fish.