Teachers need to be able to design, plan and implement interesting and engaging lessons that
cover relevant curricular content. Below is a lesson plan and worksheet that I created for a 2nd grade math class that
is both fun and meets those curricular goals.
The Crazy
Candy Cauldron Caper!
Grade
level: K, 1-2
Objectives:
Students
will be able to estimate relative quantities using the terms “more,” “less,” and “equal”.
Students
will be able to sort like items using one specific criteria (color, size, shape, etc.).
Students
will be able to generate a simple graph of counted items to graphically represent their classifications and totals. Students
will use this graph to check the accuracy of their estimations of more, less, or equal.
Materials:
Plastic
Halloween witch’s cauldron
Large
assortment of candy
Crazy
Candy Cauldron worksheet
Flip
chart paper, overhead, or chalk/dry erase board
Previous
knowledge:
Students should be
comfortable with counting to twenty independently and with identifying differences in items by color, shape, and size. Students
should also be familiar with how to use tally marks to count objects.
Vocabulary:
Tally: A way of counting using one mark for each item being counted.
Estimation: Guessing the number of items in a set.
Classification: Sorting items by a specific trait (color, size, shape)
Launch:
Discuss with students
what classifying and sorting is for and how it is done. Ask students to give
examples of what kinds of things they might classify or separate into groups. Read
the short story on the worksheet and ask the class if they think they can help with this problem.
Modeling:
During the launch,
give examples of how items are classified and sorted. Demonstrate the process
of counting sorted items by using tally marks. Also demonstrate the graphing
of those items using a simple bar graph.
Procedure:
Discuss
with students ways in which the candy can be classified (type, size, color of wrapper, etc.).
Ask students to pair up and separate the candy into four piles according to the type
of candy it is.
Ask
students to estimate the relative number of each of the piles using the terms more, less, and equal.
Have
students count the items in each pile and using tally marks, record the number of pieces of candy in that pile on their worksheet.
Get
all students back together and have students report the numbers they counted from their worksheets. Record each of the groups’ numbers on a simple chart on the board.
Using
the totals the students report, discuss whether the goblin will be able to each have 20 pieces of their favorite candy.
Questions:
Do
you think it is important to know how to classify or sort objects?
Are
there other ways in which these pieces of candy could be classified?
When
might we need to know when there is more, less, or the same number of pieces of something at home or at school?
Assessment:
As
the students are working, I will circulate to assess whether they understand the instruction to sort the candy and counting
the candy whether those directives are understood. I will observe through their oral responses to questions whether they understand
the concepts of more, less, or equal. I will also assess through oral questioning whether the students were able to use the
graph to decide whether their estimations were accurate. I will also assess the
student’s written work to determine if they were able to complete the worksheet in their respective pairs. This will
enable me to determine whether the students gained the skill and whether it will need to be revisited.
MLR
A. Numbers and number sense
Students will understand and demonstrate a sense of what numbers mean and how they are used.
Elementary Grades Pre-K-2
1. Demonstrate an understandin of what numbers mean (e.g. that the number 7 stands for a group
of objects).
3. Order, compare, read, group, and apply place
value concepts to numbers
up to 1,000.
4. Determine reasonableness of results when working with quantities.
Elementary Grades 3-4
1. Read, compare, order, calssify, and explain whole numbers up to one million
B. Computation
Students will understand and demonstrate computation skills.
Elementary Grades Pre-K-2
1. Use and apply estimation with quantities, measurements, computations, and problem-solving.
2. Use multiple strategies in solving problems involving addition and subtraction of whole
numbers
C. Data Analysis and Statistics
Students will understand and apply concepts of data analysis.
Elementary Grades Pre-K-2
1. Formulate and solve problems by collecting, arranging, and interpreting data.
2. Make tallies and graphs of information gathered from immediate surroundings.
I.
Discrete
Mathematics
Elementary Grades Pre-K-2
1. Classify sets of objects into two or more groups using their attributes
