Lesson 3

The purpose of this lesson is for students to explore two-color counters and 5-frames. Teachers also have an opportunity to gather formative assessment data about students’ counting concepts and skills. 

As students explore two-color counters and 5-frames, they likely will create designs. As you monitor, consider asking questions such as “How many two-color counters are in the 5-frame? How many red counters do you have? Do you have enough counters to fill the 5-frame?” These questions help teachers learn more about each student. The 5-frame is a useful tool for students to develop a visualization of the number 5. Various arrangements of counters on the frame prompt different visualizations of numbers and strategies for manipulating these numbers in relation to five. Students will use the 5-frame, and later the 10-frame, throughout the year. In the lesson synthesis, students think about which math tools they would choose for certain tasks (MP5).

The first few lessons in this section are intentionally shorter to allow students to learn the structure and routines of math lessons and to give teachers an opportunity to learn what students know about concepts of number. If there is extra time, students may spend more time in exploring two-color counters in the first activity. 

In the lesson synthesis, students practice saying the verbal count sequence to 10 in preparation for counting objects in an upcoming section. Add variety to the counting by adding movement. For example, students can count as they clap, stomp their feet, or jump.

Unlike talking, listening is a difficult thing to observe. At what points in the lesson did you observe students listening to one another’s ideas today in class? What indicators do you have that they were listening and making sense of what was being said?