Kindergarten Unit 3: Math in the Community

Unit Question 

Where do I recognize math in my community?

Essential Questions 

1. What is math?

2. Why is math important?

3. How do I use math?

4. Where do I recognize math?

5. How does math benefit me?

Big Ideas

1. Numbers- I use numbers to count and show position.
2. Patterns- I can use patterns to make sense of disorder.
3. Shapes- Shapes have specific names and properties.
4. Data - Words tell how things are alike and different. 

Home/School Connection

Optional resource

Community Math Scout

This idea is to get families out in the community exploring and looking for signs of math in everyday life. 

Numbers

6-8 Weeks 

Big Idea 1: Numbers

Whole Group Introduction 

• Refer students back to the number anchor charts they made in Unit 1. Review the different ways the numbers were represented.

• Equal Balancing Act from gfletchy

• Composing and Decomposing (Number Bonds Lesson)- In this lesson students will work with a partner to decompose a number in different ways. 

Center Ideas 

• Number Bonds (Game)-  Use small manipulatives or number cards to demonstrate different ways to compose a given number. Click here for the recording sheets.

• Number Trains- Compose and decompose numbers using unifix or snap cubes.

• Composing Numbers Using counters and number frames to compose numbers within 10 Includes work mats for use in a small group also.

• Represent Whole Numbers in More than One Way - Give students two different colors of snap cubes. Have them work to see how many ways they can build a number.  This can be discussed and represented. Have them share with a kindergartner what they notice. 

Key Resources

• Grandma’s Sweater - Composing Numbers Song

• This could be an introduction for the composing and decomposing lesson.

• Comparing Numbers - greater than, less than, equal to - This song explains that in order to get to greater than, less than, or equal to,  you must compare numbers. This would be a good introduction to the lesson - Represents Whole Numbers in More than One Way.

• Equal Song - This song shows a scale and the task of making both sides equal. This would be a good introduction to the lesson - Equal Means the Same  (See above).

• Counting On (Numbers 1-20)- A fun song to practice counting on by 1s. 

Mini-Lessons/ Re-engagement

• Equal Means the Same - Provide partners with snap cubes and number cards.  Have one partner draw a number and build a tower that tall. The other partner builds a tower to match.  The partners should compare their towers to make sure they are the same. Repeat this activity with partners switching rolls.

Formative Assessment

• In a one-on-one of a small group setting, display a number using a set of two -color manipulatives. Give the student the task of creating an equal amount represented a different way. Ask the student to display as many combinations as they can think of.

Evidence of Understanding

• Count beginning from any number.  

• Identify one less and one more than a given number up to five.

• Represent whole numbers in more than one way.

• Identify numbers greater than, less than and equal to given numbers up to 5.

• Compose and decompose numbers in more than one way.

• Equal means the same and multiple sets can be equal.

Big Idea 2: Patterns

Whole Group Introduction  

• In a whole group setting, tell the students that you are going to sort the class.  Begin with a simple sort such as girl and boy. After you have sorted them, ask them “What do you notice?  How did I sort the students?”. Tell them you are going to sort them in another way. Make this a more complex sort, perhaps by shoe type.  Again ask the questions above. Choose a student that you feel understands sorting to do a different sort. Ask the questions again. Take notice of the students that are able to see and explain the sorting characteristics. Talk to the students about there being many different ways to sort objects such as color, size, and shape. 

Center Ideas 

• What’s the Rule? -Object sort

• Sorting With Socks - a fun activity allowing kids to sort socks by finding their matches

• A Pair of Socks- literature to match the activity above  

• Socks Printable - to create a hands-on activity to allow students to sort socks that match the literature

• Sorting and Classifying -  lessons and printables for sorting with kindergarteners

• Sorting It All Out -In this lesson, kindergarten students will learn to sort objects familiar to them by different attributes. They will justify their decisions for classification when objects have more than one similar characteristic. 

Key Resources   

• 8 tools to Teach Sorting in Kindergarten - resources utilizing sorting mats, online sorting games, math journals for sorting.  These resources also incorporate identification of the method of sorting used.

• KINDERGARTEN SORTING GAMES - using everyday objects for sorting

Mini/Lessons Re-engagement 

• Sorting Color Tiles - Sorting Tiles into groups by color  

Formative Assessment

• Sorting Tray - Have students sort given manipulatives in their sorting tray.  Ask them how they sorted. An extension would be to ask the students to sort the manipulatives in a different way.

• Stamp Pad Patterns - Provide students with various stamp pads and stamps with strips of paper.  Have the students make a pattern of their choice and tell you about it. Record the pattern on the corner of the paper.(AB,ABB,AAB, ABC)

• Allow students to make more than one pattern. This activity could be done with other items such as pattern blocks.

Evidence of Understanding

• Identify similar/different objects and explain how they are similar/different.

• Sort objects and explain how objects were sorted.

• Sort objects with complex attributes in more than one way

Big Idea 4: Data

Whole Group Introduction  

• Sorting ideas in a classroom- Using class photos, or drawings,  make a pictograph. Make a class graph showing how many girls and boys there are in the class. Utilize the pictures to sort in other manners such as hair color, hair length, shirt color, etc. 

Center Ideas  

• Sorting Fruit Loops - a simple activity to reinforce sorting by colors

• Penguin Shape Graph- Roll and graph penguins in a fun game of shapes. Use the rolls to create a graph of results.

• Shape Turkey - identifying and graphing shapes on a turkey. 

Key Resources 

• Different types of Graphing that Make Connections - wonderful examples and activities that incorporate different types of graphing and data collection.  The real-world connections make graphing and data collection more meaningful 

Mini/Lessons RE-engagement  

• Sibling Floor Graph - Have students place their name card under the number that represents how many siblings are in their family. Discuss graph: What do you notice about the graph?  Which number has the most names? Recording sheet

   

Formative Assessment 

• Shape Graphs - a printable data collection page to determine the data collection and interpretation.

    

Evidence of Understanding

• Compare objects using geometric words. (length, size, weight, position, location.)  

• Order objects by measurable attributes. (length, weight) 

• Order objects by measurable attributes such as length and weight.

• Sort a group of objects by more than one attribute..

• Graph objects by characteristics.