I start each math lesson with a Problem of the Day. I use the procedures outlined here on Problem of the Day Procedures.
Today's Problem of the Day:
Jake brought 3 mini skateboards to recess. Ricky brought 5 mini skateboards to recess. How many skateboards did they bring to recess?
I set this problem up with some structures to help the students organize their thinking. I gave a blank number sentence frames to help the students to write their answer as an equation. On the Notebook file, there is also a picture of a skateboard set to Infinite Cloner. This way the student can use it represent the problem. If you do not have a SMART Board, you can use the PDF and manipulatives, pictures, or students' drawings.
Since we do this whole group, I have one students come up and work on this problem. I remind the student to check their work when they are finished and have the class tell if they agree or disagree by showing a thumbs up or thumbs down. Students also have the opportunity to share why they agree or disagree.
I start this lesson reminding students that we have been working on our "If You Were A Plus Sign" book. I remind students that a plus sign is the symbol that we put between two numbers in an equation to show that we are adding. By this point, we have been working with addition for a few weeks, so most students are comfortable with the name and purpose of a plus sign.
We have been working with writing addition number sentences which are also called equations. Today we are going to continue to work on our books. Let's start with a group number story.
I walk around and make sure that students have come up with a number story and are drawing it and writing their equations. I have ten frames and manipulatives available for who want to use those to represent the number story. If students use the manipulatives, I take a picture of their work and add it to their book after I print the picture.
Check out how our books turned out!
I got the idea for this activity from Mrs. Ricca's Kindergarten. The "If You Were A Plus Sign" student book that I am using in this lesson is available as a free download from her blog.
The centers for this week are:
I quickly circulate to make sure students are engaged and do not have any questions about how to complete the centers. I pull two or three groups during centers and work with them depending on the time they need (5 - 10 minutes).
Today I am focusing on addition with all of the groups. While my students are doing well on our addition lessons and centers, I want to continue to practice how to solve word problems and written equations. I verbally give the group word problems. I have them solve them using manipulatives. I then show the students some equations and have them solve them using manipulatives.
Prior to clean up, I check in with each table to see how the centers are going. My students have been struggling with getting cleaned up quickly and quietly after centers. Lately I have been using counting down from 20 slowly instead of a clean up song. Counting backwards is as critical as counting up. Students need to be able to know the number that comes before, as well as after, any given number (w/i 10, w/i 20, etc.). Counting back is a critical strategy for subtraction, which we will be starting soon!
The students like to count backwards with me as they clean up and I can lengthen or reduce the clean up time based on how students are doing and how much time we have.
To close, I put a student's book on the document camera and project it on the SMARTBoard and have the student explain their work. I choose one student who clearly represented addition in their picture and wrote a correct equation. I mention positive things noticed during centers as well as something that needs to be better next time.
I review what we did during our whole group lesson. "Today we learned about addition number stories and worked on creating our own. Tomorrow we will taking a short assessment where you can show me everything that you learned about addition!"