Comparing More Than, Less Than, Same: Concrete Level

More Teaching Plans on this topic: Representational, Abstract

PHASE 2: Practice Strategies

Receptive/Recognition Level

Purpose: To provide students with multiple practice opportunities to identify if a given group of objects has more than, less than, or the same number of objects when compared to another group of objects.

Learning Objective 1: Identify if a given group of objects has more than, less than or the same number of objects when compared to another group of objects.

Structured Language Experience:

Materials:

Teacher -

• Bell or timer to signal when to rotate containers at tables.

Students -

• 4-5 pre-made groups of two types of cookies (chocolate chip and sugar) in box lids or other container. The number of chocolate chip cookies would remain constant (e.g. 6), but each container would display a different amount of sugar cookies. Containers should be differentiated with a color or symbol, letter or number.
  

Description:

Activity:

Students will work at tables in groups of 4 or 5 children. Each child at a table would have a lid that showed a group of chocolate chip cookies and a group of sugar cookies. Each child would need to decide if there were more, less, or the same number of sugar cookies as chocolate chip cookies. After deciding, each child will tell the other children at his/her table if they have more, less, or the same number of sugar cookies as chocolate chip cookies. When the teacher rings the bell the children at each table are to take turns telling the others at their table about their decision. After each child at the table has shared his/her decision with his/her tablemates, the teacher will ask one child at each table to share his/her decisions with the entire class before signaling children to pass the lids around the table. Continue until every child has practiced with each container at the table.

Structured Language Experience Steps:

1) Review directions for completing structured language experiences and relevant classroom rules.

2) Model how to perform the skills(s) within the context of the activity before the students begin the activity. Prior to starting this activity, the teacher will introduce the activity and model how to :

a. Look at the container

b. Decide if there are more, less, or the same number of sugar cookies as chocolate chip cookies.

c. Wait for the teacher signal and then tell table mates

d. Take turns telling tablemates and provide feedback to tablemates

e. Signal teacher if there is a question about a tablemate's decision

f. Rotate the containers around the table when the teacher signals.

g. Listen while children are sharing their responses with the whole class.

3) Provide time for student questions.

4) Signal students to begin.

5) Monitor students as they work:

a. Circulate around the table and check on children's responses throughout the activity.

b. Make sure that each child receives feedback on his/her decision.

c. Provide closed choice questions (point to the group that shows more, is this more or less cookies) to help students who have difficulty with verbal expression label their containers.

d. Ask each child in the class to share his/her decision at least once with the entire class.

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Expressive Level

Purpose: to provide students with multiple practice opportunities to make a group of objects that is less than, more than, or the same as a given group of objects.

Learning Objective 4: Making groups showing more than, less than, or the same number of objects as a given group.

Structured Language Experience:

Materials:

Teacher -

• Recording form to record student responses

Students -

• 10 plates with chocolate chip cookies/pair of students;
• 10 baggies with sugar cookies
• One egg carton that has been cut into thirds or another container with five small cups and five small objects (token, counting bear, beans, pebbles etc.)/pair

Description:

Activity:

The teacher will put the students in pairs and assign initial roles (maker; recorder/listener). Each pair will get a container/envelope with the plates of chocolate chip cookies and the baggies of sugar cookies. Students will be asked to create groups of sugar cookies that show less, more or the same number of sugar cookies as the plate of chocolate chip cookies that their partner will pick. They will also need to tell their partner how they know that they have made a group that is less, more, or the same as the group of chocolate chip cookies. Each child will have five opportunities to make and tell their partner about their groups. Each time a child makes a group his/her partner will put a token (bean, pebble, etc.) in a section of the egg carton. When the egg carton is filled (i.e. after five turns), the partners will switch roles.

Structured Language Experience Steps:

1) Review directions for completing structured language experiences and relevant classroom rules.

2) Model how to perform the skills within the context of the activity before students begin the activity. Prior to starting the activity, the teacher will introduce the activity and model how to:

a. Line up and count the chocolate chip cookies.

b. Match the sugar cookies with the chocolate chip cookies

c. Compare and label sugar cookies as less, more, or the same as the chocolate chip cookies.

d. Count the number of objects in each group.

e. Tell your partner about the matching groups.

f. Listen to your partner.

g. Put a token in the cup each time after your partner has finished making and telling you about a group.

h. Signal the teacher if there is a question about your partner's groups.

i. Signal the teacher when you are ready to switch roles.

3) Provide time for student questions.

4) Signal students to begin.

5) Monitor students as they work:

a. Circulate and check on children's responses throughout the activity.

b. Make sure that each child receives feedback during the activity.

c. For those students who have difficulty with verbal expression, the teacher may need to have them make models for their partners but not require them to describe their groups without teacher prompting.

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