Lesson 4

The purpose of this warm-up is for students to extend the verbal count sequence to 30. It builds on previous experiences with counting to 20. This is an opportunity to see if students are able to say the number sequence in order. Students also see the numbers written as they say each number. This deepens their understanding of the structure of the counting sequence (MP7).

• Groups of 2
• “Let’s count to 30.”

• Count to 30 together.
• Record as students count.
• Count to 30 1–2 times. Point to the numbers as students count.

• Point to the number
• “What number is 1 more than 8?” (9).
• “Count to 9 with your partner.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to describe and compare shapes they see in the classroom. Students are given a shape to look for in the classroom. In the synthesis, students are introduced to what it means to sort. Students work in groups to sort shapes into groups in the next activity.

• Groups of 2
• Assign half of the class to Shape A and the other half to Shape B.
• Display the student page.
• “We are going on a shape hunt in our classroom. There is a special shape you are looking for.”
• Point to Shape A.
• “If you are looking for Shape A, you will look around the classroom for an object that looks like this shape.”
• Point to Shape B.
• “If you are looking for Shape B, you will look around the classroom for an object that looks like this shape.”
• “When you find an object that looks like your shape, bring it back to the group.”

• 3 minutes: partner work time

• “If you found an object that looks like Shape A, place it here.”
• Invite students to place their object on one part of the carpet or table.
• “If you found an object that looks like Shape B, place it here.”
• Invite students to place their objects on a different part of the carpet or table.
• “What is the same about the objects in this group?” (They all look like Shape A. They are all circles. They all have round sides.)
• “What is the same about the objects in this group?” (They all look like Shape B. They are all rectangles. They have straight sides.)
• “We put our objects into two groups based on things that are the same about the shapes. When we put things in groups based on things that are alike, or the same, it is called sorting.”
• “Let’s figure out how many shapes are in each group.”
• Invite students to count the shapes in each group. Demonstrate writing a number to show how many objects are in each group.
• Display an object that looks like a rectangle, such as a pencil holder.
• “Which group do you think I should put this object in? Why do you think that?” (It should go in this group because it looks like a rectangle. It has straight sides.)

The purpose of this activity is for students to consider and describe attributes of shapes as they sort shapes into categories. Students were introduced to sorting in the previous activity. This is the first time students sort into categories of their choosing. The standards ask students to sort shapes into given categories, so if groups are having trouble coming up with categories to use to sort, suggest two categories that students can use (for example, has four sides and does not have four sides). Students will sort shapes into given categories in future lessons. When students choose categories for their sort they identify and describe shape attributes (MP6).

Each group of 2 needs a set of shape cards from the previous lesson.

• Groups of 2
• Give each group a set of shape cards.
• “In the last activity we sorted our objects into groups. We put the objects together based on something that was the same about them.”
• Display a couple of shape cards.
• “You and your partner will sort the shape cards into two groups. You can decide how to sort the shapes. Put each shape in one of your groups. Talk to your partner about why each shape fits in the group.”

• 5 minutes: partner work time
• Monitor for groups that sort the shapes in different ways.
• “Write a number to show how many shapes are in your groups.”
• 2 minutes: independent work time
• “Which group has more shapes? How do you know?”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time
• 30 seconds: partner discussion

• Invite at least two groups of students to share their sorts.
• “Why did they put these shapes together? What is the same about these shapes?”

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that offer practice with number and shape concepts.

Students choose from any stage of previously introduced centers.

• Which One
• Picture Books
• Bingo
• Shake and Spill

• Gather materials from:
  • Which One, Stage 1
  • Picture Books, Stages 1–3
  • Bingo, Stages 1 and 2
  • Shake and Spill, Stages 1 and 2

• “Today we are going to choose from centers we have already learned.”
• Display the center choices in the student book.
• “Think about what you would like to do first.”
• 30 seconds: quiet think time

• Invite students to work at the center of their choice. 
• 8 minutes: center work time
• “Choose what you would like to do next.”
• 8 minutes: center work time

• “How did you and your partner work together to decide which centers to choose?”