Counting Fun with Gummi Bears Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan #: AELP-ATH0028
Submitted by: Amy Richardson
Email: acrst10+@pitt.edu
School/University/Affiliation: University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Date: September 20, 1999

Grade Level(s): Preschool education, Kindergarten

Subject(s):

Mathematics/Arithmetic

Duration: one 45-minute session Description: This is one of my favorite lessons and when I found out that I had the opportunity to share it with others in the teaching profession I became very excited. I used this particular lesson in a kindergarten classroom and it was a great success. I hope you find it as enjoyable and as useful as I did. The main purpose of the lesson is to help children understand the concept of numbers using familiar manipulatives.

Goals: The goal of this lesson is to familiarize the young learner with the numbers one through ten.

Objectives: The students will be able:

count the numbers one through ten out loud

identify the numbers one through ten

show the numbers one through ten using manipulatives

Materials:

Boegehold, Lindley (1999). The Gummi Bear Counting Book . Anness Publishing Inc.
A sandwich bag for each student in the class containing ten gummi bears.
Cut outs in the shape of bears with the numbers one through ten written on their stomach (make sure there is enough for each student to have a set).

Procedure:

Begin the lesson by showing a stuffed animal of a bear.

Ask the student what animal it is that you are holding.

Continue the discussion by allowing them to talk about any stuffed animals they might own.

Explain to the students that they will be learning something very special today, to count, using bears.

Introduce the book, The Gummi Bear Counting Book . As the story is being read to the students place the teddy bear cut outs on the blackboard which display the corresponding number. After the story is completed, as a class, review the bears on the blackboard by counting aloud together.

Next comes the fun part!

Explain to the student that they will each be given a bag that has ten gummi bears in it.

Make sure to enforce the rule that they are not to eat them until it is snack time!

Also show them the bear cut outs they will receive and show them how they each have a different number on them.

After the material is passed out begin the game by calling out a number one through ten.

The task of the student is to find the bear that has that number on its stomach and using their gummi bears show that number on their cut out.

It is a great idea to have bears already made displaying the correct number of gummi bears to use as an aid in checking the answers.

Note: This activity is a great way to introduce the concept of counting. The book I have mentioned in this lesson is excellent and is appealing to the younger student. I hope this can offer some inspiration and variation to the teacher of a younger class. Assessment:

Assessment for this particular lesson can come in a variety of forms:

One way is to have the students get into small groups and play the game themselves, using each other to check their understand of numbers.
Or, a class handout could be given to the students asking them to demonstrate the numbers one through ten.

Note: I feel that the type of assessment for a lesson really depends on the teacher and the type of class one is dealing with.

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