Lesson 8

The purpose of this warm-up is for students to experience a new part of the Questions About Us routine. Students consider concepts of number in a familiar context. This warm-up focuses on cardinality, or knowing that the last number tells us how many, and keeping track of which images have been counted. In the activity, students share methods for counting the images. After counting the group of images as a class or inviting a student to demonstrate how to count the images, ask students,  “How many students chose cats?” to confirm that students know that the last number tells us how many.

The images included in the Questions About Us Chart blackline master K.2.B are examples of what to display for the Questions About Us warm-ups in Section B. In order to create a display that will be visible to the whole class, print and cut out enough 5-frames so that there is a square for each student in the class. For example, if there are 23 students in the class, cut out four 5-frames and 3 squares out of a fifth 5-frame. Consider laminating the display and using a dry erase marker to write the two choices and record students' responses. If available, the provided images can also be enlarged.

• Groups of 2
• Display Questions About Us Chart.
• “Which animal do you like better: dogs or cats?”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• Record each student's choice with a circle in a 5-frame.

• “How can we figure out how many students like cats better?”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion
• Share responses.
• Demonstrate or invite students to demonstrate counting.
• “How many students like cats better?”
• “How can we figure out how many students like dogs better?”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion
• Share responses.
• Demonstrate or invite students to demonstrate counting.
• “How many students like dogs better?”

• Count how many students chose cats again. After counting 10 dots, pause and ask, “How many dots have I counted?” and “Which dots have I already counted? Which dots do I still need to count?”

The purpose of this activity is for students to compare groups of images that are lined up. Students compare which group has more or fewer images.

• Groups of 2
• Display the image from the student book:
  

  

  

• “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” (There are people and apples. There are 6 people. How many apples are there? Are there enough apples for each person to get one?)
• “Have you ever helped to set the table for a meal or pass out a snack? What did you do?” 

• “Are there enough chairs for each person? How do you know?”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion
• “Are there more chairs or people? How do you know?” 
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion
• “There are more people than chairs.”
• “How many people are there? How many chairs are there?” 
• 1 minute: independent work time
• Share responses.
• “5 people is more than 4 chairs.”
• Repeat the steps with each group of images. Switch between asking students “Are there more _____ or _____?” and “Are there fewer _____ or _____?”

The purpose of this activity is for students to compare groups of images. The images are organized in lines, but the objects are not directly matched, which requires students to match or count the images to compare. Students are asked “Are there enough?” before they compare to encourage them to think about matching the images. In the activity synthesis, drawing lines to match the images is highlighted. Matching the images helps students relate the comparisons to the situation they just worked with where the images were already matched (MP7).

• Groups of 2
• Display the student page.
• “How are these pictures different from the ones we worked with in the first activity?” (There are different pictures. The pictures aren’t matched up.)

• “Are there enough cartons of milk for each student? How do you know?”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion
• “Are there more students or cartons of milk? How do you know?” 
• 30 seconds: independent work time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion
• “There are more cartons of milk than students.”
• “How many students are there? How many cartons of milk are there?” 
• 1 minute: independent work time
• “8 cartons of milk is more than 7 students.”
• Repeat the steps with each group of images. Switch between asking students “Are there more _____ or _____?” and “Are there fewer _____ or _____?” 
• Monitor for students who draw lines to match each image. 

• Invite a previously identified student to share how they drew lines to match.

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and counting concepts.

Students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

• Math Stories
• Connecting Cubes
• Number Race

• Gather materials from: 
  • Math Stories, Stage 1
  • Connecting Cubes, Stages 1-3
  • Number Race, Stage 1

• “Today we are going to choose from centers we have already learned.”
• Display the center choices in the student book.
• “Think about what you would like to do first.”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time

• Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
• 10 minutes: center work time
• “Choose what you would like to do next.”
• 10 minutes: center work time

• “If I hold up 5 fingers, how many fingers would you need to hold up to show fewer fingers?”