At least one set of cards numbered from 0 to 10 that are large enough to be worn by the children.
Additional cards as indicated by scenarios in the lesson plan.
Laminating these cards will preserve them.
Appendix 5: Maths in Motion – Overview
| Years: | K - 3 | Time: | Many lessons | Strand: | Number |
|---|
This lesson includes activities of children 'being' numbers. Groups of children wearing number cards act out events so that the whole class can talk about the mathematics involved. The activities are visited and revisited over days/ weeks/ months (threaded through the curriculum) so that children have a chance to construct and reconstruct their number concepts.
Learning outcomes and related concepts
- Number recognition (numerals)
- Sequencing
- Place value
- Number facts
- Problem solving
- Combination counting
Resources required
Lesson stages
- Getting started: introducing the 'number children'
- Mrs Number and her family
- Discussing mathematics
- Exploring other maths in motion activities
Issues or discussion points
- Physical involvement
- Small group or whole class
- Fantasy/story telling
- Mathematical conversation
- Creativity
- Easy to prepare yet yields significant learning
- Can be threaded through the curriculum
The children could do similar activities with small number cards on the table top. What difference does it make to the learning to present the activities in the kinaesthetic manner suggested?
Can the mathematical conversation be recorded in a way that concurrently achieves literacy objectives?
Straw vote
After teaching the lesson, please rate each of the above features (out of 10) as to its contribution to the overall quality of the learning experience. This exercise will provide a basis for staff discussion of curriculum development.
This is lesson 142 within Education Services Australia’s Maths300 project www.maths300.esa.edu.au. An earlier version was published within the MCTP Activity Bank Volume 1, p189.