Lesson Plan Title : More or less (or the same)

Age Range:

Kindergarten through Grade 2 (Primary / Elementary School)

Overview and Purpose:

For this activity, students will work in pairs to play a game. The teacher will introduce the concepts of more, less, and the same. The whole class will play a game with the teacher using dominoes before dividing into pairs to play the game.

Objective:

The student will be able to determine if a domino has more, less, or the same number of dots as another one.

Resources:

Set of ten flashcards with different dominoes on them

One worksheet per child that has ten dominoes with different amounts of dots drawn on each one

One paper bag for every two students

One small block with 'more' written on three sides and 'less' written on the other three sides

One pair of scissors for each student

Math journals

Activities:

Begin the activity by discussing the terms: more, less, and the same. Hold up pairs of flashcards and have the students tell you which domino has more dots or if they are both the same. Count the dots out loud to help students who are struggling with the concept.

Divide the class into pairs. Pass out the worksheets, one paper bag, and one block to each pair. Have each student cut apart their dominoes and place them into the paper bag. Each student should draw a domino from the bag. Whoever has the one with more dots goes first. The students should put the dominoes back in the bag and the first student should roll the block. If the student rolls 'more' then both students draw a domino from the bag and see who has more dots. The winner gets to keep both dominoes. It is now the other student's turn to roll the block. Whoever has more dominoes when the bag is empty is the winner. If the students draw dominoes that have the same number of dots, they should hold onto those dominos and go again. The winner will get both pairs of dominoes.

At the end of the activity, have the students write about their experience with the game in their math journal.

Closure:

Students use the idea of more or less across all subjects and in everyday life. Challenge them to notice other ways that they use this concept. Review the idea by using the domino flashcards in their morning work. Place the dominos in pairs on the board and have the students draw the pairs and note in their math journal which one has more dots. The flashcards also make a good center review activity.