Relative Size Lesson Plan for Kindergarten
written by: Amy
Bates, Spring 2001
graphics, editing, & formatting by: Dr. Beth McCulloch Vinson
Subject: Relative Size – Wide and Narrow
Grade: Kindergarten
I.
Behavioral
Objective:
After a teacher-directed math lesson, the students of
Ms. Bates’ kindergarten class will:
II.
Instruction/Method:
A.
Anticipatory
Set:
1. Explain that today we will learn about wide and narrow.
2. Read the book, The Wide Mouth Frog.
3.
Review
other relative sizes such as: longer
than, shorter than, and taller than.
4.
Express
how important it is to understand the relative size of objects.
B.
Statement
of Objective:
“After today’s lesson, you will be able to tell the difference between wide and narrow objects."
C.
Instructional Input:
1.
Review
the other relative sizes mentioned above.
2.
Using
a transparency on the overhead projector, draw wide and narrow items such as: a wide tree, a narrow
tree; and a wide house, a narrow house.
3.
Discuss
with the students which is wide and which is narrow.
D.
Modeling:
1.
Mention the title of the book and allow the students to tell you why the
title is The Wide Mouth Frog.
2.
Using
the book, The Wide Mouth Frog, show the students how the frog’s mouth
is wide (compared to the others in
the book).
3.
Next,
show the comparison between the other “mouths” in the book to the frog’s
wide
4.
Again,
show each page in the book and talk about the wide and narrow sizes.
E.
Checking
for Understanding:
1.
After
reviewing the book, give each student a sock puppet.
2.
Have the
students open their sock puppet’s mouth wide and then narrow.
3.
Read
the book again allowing the children to use their sock puppets to distinguish the mouths of the creatures.
F.
Guided
Practice:
1. Place the students into groups of four. Instruct each child to open his or her bag containing popsicle sticks.
2.
Together,
we will sort the popsicle sticks by size of wide and narrow.
G.
Independent Practice:
1.
When
in their groups, hand out the sorting bags.
Each bag contains: construction
strips, ribbon, fabric strips, and books.
2.
Ask
the students to sort the objects in the bags into piles of wide and narrow,
comparing like objects.
3.
Observe
this activity and help as needed.
1.
Strategies
to use with Exceptional Children:
a. For enrichment, increase the number of items to sort. For example, some items can be sorted into more than two categories of width.
b.
For remediation, decrease the number of items to sort and buddy if
necessary.
2.
Activities
which Value Cultural Diversity:
a. Children who speak English as a second language will teach us the words for "wide" and "narrow" in their primary language.
b.
Children from other cultures will bring in items we can sort into wide
and narrow.
3.
Activities which Foster Active
Inquiry, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving:
a. Ask the children to bring items from home that we can sort into wide and narrow, short and tall, or big and little.
b.
The class will take a mini-field trip outside to see the many things in
nature that are wide and narrow.