Mini Lesson Plan: Introduction to Numbers
Excursion to the Number Zoo
Numbers are everywhere! They’re on clocks, and computers, and calendars, and whiteboards! What are numbers? Why do we see them all over the place? Do they grow? Do they eat?
By definition, numbers are words and symbols that represent specific quantities. Simply put, numbers tell us how many of certain things, people, places (all countable nouns) there are. We’ll let Ms Twinkle take over from here!
Activity 1: Twinkle Trails — The Number Zoo
Ms Twinkle and class mistakenly entered the Number Zoo instead of the Animal Zoo like they had planned. Luckily for us, Ms Twinkle always has a lesson prepared for emergencies like this!
Phew! That song was packed with a number of new ideas, wasn’t it? Let’s unpack it and go over what we just learnt!
1. Numbers can be used in equations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Numbers, at the most basic level, are used to count. However, across the hundreds of years that numbers have been studied, they’ve evolved to become foundation of many modern inventions! (Notably, computers and rockets.)
2. Numbers are infinite. There is no end to numbers.
3. There are an infinity of numbers between numbers. We use decimal points or fractions to denote these ‘in between numbers’. But fractions and decimals is a topic that deserves its own Mini Lesson Plan!
Activity 2: The Smallest Whole Number
“There’s nothing there.”
— Ethan
In the song, Ms Twinkle introduced us to the “ferocious” number zero! What makes zero so ferocious? Or a hero? And what does zero look like? So many questions! Luckily, we’ve got plenty of time to answer all of them!
Zero Means Nothing
Like any other number, zero informs us of quantity (how many of a certain thing there are) — even if it is just to let us know that there is nothing. Zero comes before the number one.
We need numbers like 1 and 2 to let people know things like, “there is 1 cat on the sofa,” or, “there are 2 teachers in class.” Likewise, the number zero helps us communicate as such: “there are zero clean plates left,” and “there are zero dogs in the garden.”
Now, can you tell how many insects there are on this flower?
Zero is a Placeholder
When we count up to really big numbers, the need arises for a digit to tell us that the ones, tens, or hundreds place has no value. For example, in the number 300, we place two zeros after the number three to show that (a) 300 is bigger than 3, and (b) there is no number in the tens and hundreds places.
This way, we wouldn’t need to invent new symbols every time we count bigger numbers!
Activity 3: How do Numbers Work?
What do numbers do? They count! Well, they don’t count; they help us count. The first step to learning anything is understanding. And we found that the best way to understand numbers is to practice counting! Of course, this comes with a whole lot of colours, crafts, and fun!
i) Counting Beads on Pipe Cleaners
Fuzzy pipe cleaners, colourful beads, and a dash of fine motor activity thrown in there too! Count us in! (Get it? Count us in. Hehe.)
ii) Counting Ice Cream Scoops
I don’t know about you, but I clicked on this link because I saw tongs in the feature image. We’d rate this activity 5 stars and recommend it for anyone with children, and everyone who agrees that tongs make any activity twice as fun.
Bonus: your kids have a smashing time exercising their fine motor skills, counting skills, and arranging skills.
iii) Pinning Wooden Pegs on Foam Numbers
Minimal setup required, big squishy foam numbers, and the pegs give your little ones a good hand workout too!
Activity 4: How Do Numbers Look?
Writing numbers can be tricky business for little children. Let’s help them out through entertaining activities!
i) Number Rhymes and Road Maps
These number rhymes aren’t just here to stick around in your kids’ heads! They offer adventures that will “drive” your little ones around numbers on firetrucks, rockets, and submarines!
ii) Drawing Animal-Number Hybrids
What’s a Number Zoo without some furry and feathered Animal-Number crafts? Think outside the box with your little ones and see if you can come up with drawings of animals out of simple numbers! Watch the video below for some inspiration to get started:
For your younger children who are still learning to write and draw, you can create puzzles out of this activity. Draw out some of the animal-number doodles shown in the video above (or create your own) and get your kids to find the hidden numbers in them!
iii) Counting and Tracing
Worksheets for the kids to learn to associate the correct shapes with the correct numbers!
iv) Yarn Art
Bored of using regular writing tools? No worries! Not only is this a pretty, educational craft, there are a few problem-solving opportunities in it too! Read on to find out what they are!
v) Guess the Number
After all these activities, your little number experts must know every curve and stroke that creates numbers! Put them to the test!
Another day, another Mini Lesson Plan filled to the brim with fun, fun, and more fun (with a little learning on the side too)! If you’re through with these activities and you just want more of numbers, visit our Mini Lesson Plan on Addition, in which we have a special guest teacher!
If you loved this lesson on numbers, (1) let us know in the comments, and (2) share the love with friends, family, and strangers on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, or even that Whatsapp group no one has chatted on since 2013! Can we count on you to pass on what you learnt here to your friends?
If you have any brilliant number puns for us (average ones will do too), hit us up on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram!
SOURCES
The Royal Institution
DIY Nikol & Alexandra
PICTURES
LittleLives Inc.
Laughing Kids Learn
Fun-a-Day
And Next Comes L
Preschool Mom
My Teaching Station
Kids Play Box
Education
