Description

Need a fun look at the number seven? Enjoy [Quack and Count] from this seventh lesson from the unit, Sky High Counting. Students continue exploration of the day and night skies and add a page for the number 7 to their counting books.

Materials

-Crews, Donald. [Ten Black Dots]. New York. Scholastic. 1968.

-Baker, Keith. [Quack and Count]. New York. Harcourt Brace and Company. 1999.

-Gordon, Maria. [Simple Science, Day & Night]. New York. Thomsom Learning. 1995.

-Summative Assessment #2, Sky from the unit plan (See Extensions for the link.) - one copy per student

-One copy of “Moving Sun Rhyme” from the associated file from the lesson plan Three Bears and Three Goats in the Morning Sun

-Student Web Lesson, Sunrise, Sunset, (see Weblinks)
-Seven quarter-size, yellow, construction paper or sticker dots per student

-Yellow construction paper cutout of the numeral 7, one per student plus one for the teacher’s number wall card (see associated file from lesson plan One Sun, One Moon)

-Copy of the student worksheet from associated file – one per student

-Transparency of The Sun Tells the Time from the associated file

-Copy of the formative assessment checklist previously used with this unit – one per student

-One sheet of chart paper

-Various colors of markers for writing on chart paper

-Seven large yellow stars traced from the pattern for the number wall cards (see associated file for lesson plan One Sun, One Moon)

-One 12 x 16 sheet of dark blue construction paper to make number wall cards

-One sheet per student of light blue, 6 x 8 construction paper

-Pencils – one per student

-A set of multiple colors crayons and/or markers per student or group

-One one-gallon plastic bag per student (previously used with this unit)

-One orange

-One lamp with bulb showing

-Two different colored stickers or push-pins to mark the sides of the orange (see the demonstration on page 14-16 of the book [Simple Science, Day & Night]

Procedures

Note: This is lesson plan number seven of ten that makes up the unit, Sky High Counting available at from the lik in the top corner or the Extensions section of this lesson plan. This integrated lesson plan includes reading, writing, mathematics, and science.

Review –

1. Draw students’ attention to the wall chart for the numbers that were previously presented. Orally review the lines of the numerals by having students trace them in the air as you verbally describe them. Ask a student to count the number of stars on the chart as you touch the stars to demonstrate one-to-one correspondence. Ask whether the blue paper is supposed to be the day sky or night sky and encourage students to explain how they know.

Math –

2. Show the book, [Quack and Count]. Ask for predictions of what the book may be about. Ask how the students know that it might be about ducks.

3. Read the title to the students. Ask for further predictions about the contents of the book now that the title is known. Ask how the students arrived at the prediction. Encourage them to realize that it is the title and illustrations that help them predict.

4. Read the book, [Quack and Count]. As you read, demonstrate one-to-one correspondence while counting the various ducks in the story.

5. Ask students to relate the book to their own experiences of owning pets that may move around and can be hard to count such as fish in a fish tank. Ask guiding questions about these experiences that help students relate the illustrations to their own lives.

6. As each page is read, have the students predict what might be on the following page. Ask why they made that prediction. They can predict what number will be displayed, what animal may be used, or what the ducks may be doing.

7. Display the number wall card for the number 7. Ask students which number will be our special visitor today.

8. Trace the cutout numeral on the chart with your finger. As you do, talk to the students about the shape of the numeral seven. Verbally trace the seven by modeling and saying, “Trace across the top, then down.” Have the students trace the seven in the air with their fingers.

9. Touch the yellow stars on the wall chart and say the number words “one, two, three, four, five, six, seven” demonstrating one-to-one correspondence.

10. Make the relation with the numeral seven and the seven stars obvious. Touch the stars and say “one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.” Then, trace the numeral and say “seven.” Remind students that the numeral tells how many stars are on the paper.

11. Hang the wall card on the wall high enough that students can see it but low enough that they can touch the stars.

12. Display the chart paper. Remind students that their homework last night was to ask their parents if there is anything special about the number seven. Make a list as related by the students. The list should be words and drawings if possible. As the students respond, give formative feedback such as, “Yes, there are seven days in one week.” or “No, spiders have eight legs. Can you think of anything special about seven?” When students have had the opportunity to add as many answers as possible to the list, hang the list under the wall chart for the number 7. Seven is a hard number to make associations with, so this list may be very short and include seven days in a week, seven comes after six, and seven is sometimes made with a line through the stem.

13. Pass out the worksheet from the associated file. Have students write their names on the papers. Using their fingers, have the students trace the numeral 7 on the paper. As students are tracing with their fingers, verbally describe the procedure saying, “Trace across, then down.” Have students pick up their pencils and trace the numeral 7 using their pencils. Verbally describe the tracing again.

14. Ask students how many stars will be colored today. How do they know? How many colors may they use? How do they know? They can be colored any way the student chooses as long as they only use seven colors and only color seven stars. The purpose is to be sure the student understands the concept of seven.

15. Collect the papers. Use the papers to formatively assess individual student’s knowledge of the numeral and number seven. Mark students' ability on the formative assessment records sheet. Remember that you are assessing whether students adequately demonstrate their knowledge of counting to seven, not their coloring or tracing abilities.

Reading (read-aloud) –

Note: While asking questions and requesting student input, be sure all students have the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, share their predictions, and abilities, etc. Don’t allow the more vocal students to dominate.

16. Show the book, [Simple Science, Day & Night].

17. Look at the cover of the book. Ask if students can predict what the title might be. Remind students to predict by using what they see. Ask guiding questions such as: “Is this a day sky, night sky, or both? What is in the day sky? What is in the night sky?” After students predict the title using the illustration, read the title to them.

18. Now that students know the title of the book, ask them to predict what they think the book will be about. Give formative feedback as to whether they are using the title and illustration to make their prediction and whether the prediction is realistic. Possible feedback might be, “Looking at the picture, we see day and night sky. The book probably is about day and night.” or “We see a both a day sky and a night sky on the cover and the title is [Simple Science, Day & Night], do you think the story is only about the night sky? Think about it some more and I’ll come back to you for another guess.” Remember, formative feedback tells why the student is correct and/or guides the student towards the correct answer.

19. Read page 4 to the students. Ask students to relate the illustration to their own lives. Have they been camping in a tent? Have they done any sunbathing? Where do they think the boy is going?

20. Ask if the illustration has a day sky or a night sky. Ask for an explanation.

21. Ask students to predict what will happen next with the boy and girl. Possible predictions may be that she gets sunburned or the boy is going swimming. Give feedback on their predictions as to whether they are logical and whether students used the illustrations to make the prediction.

22. Read page 5 to the students. Ask students to relate the illustration to their own lives. Have they spent the night camping in a tent? Have they ever heard strange noises at night? Have they ever heard a real owl?

23. Ask if the illustration has a day sky or a night sky. Ask for an explanation.

24. Ask students to predict what will happen next in this picture. Possible predictions might be that the kids get scared and run into the house, the owl wakes up the dog, etc. Give feedback on their predictions as to whether they are logical and whether students used the illustrations to make the prediction.

25. Continue reading the book through page 11. For each page, follow the read, relate to students’ own lives, tell about day sky or night sky, and predict what will come next, procedures that have been established.

26. End reading time with page 11. The next section of the book will be read during science time.

27. Place the book in a predominant place in the classroom, such as on the chalk tray. Invite students to read the book during their “self selected” reading time.

Science –

28. Lead the students in reciting the “Moving Sun Rhyme.” Remember to either do the movements that accompany the rhyme or use the stick suns made yesterday to represent the movement of the sun.

29. Read page 12 of the book, [Simple Science, Day & Night]. Show the transparency, The Sun Tells the Time from the associated file.

30. As you review each movement of the sun, have the student point to the sun on the transparency display.

31. Give Summative Assessment #2, Sky. Note in the teacher instructions for administering this assessment, that each student will be making an individual oral prediction as the booklets for this assessment are distributed. Then, this assessment can be given whole group as you read each page and students respond by drawing the appropriate illustration to match the text.

32. Up to this point, we have made students aware of the apparent movement of the sun. Now, we will begin to teach them that it is actually the earth moving, not the sun.

33. Read pages 13 – 19 of the book, [Simple Science, Day & Night].

34. Do the demonstration from pages 14 – 16 of the book. The orange represents the Earth. One sticker (or push pin) is the school. The other sticker (or push pin) is a school in Japan. The bulb of the lamp is the sun. Stress that there is not really a stick through the Earth, but the pencil just allows us to turn Earth.

35. As you turn the Earth (orange) discuss the fact that the sun (lamp) can only shine on part of the Earth at a time. Sometimes our school is half in the light (day) and half in the dark (night). Explain that this happens at sunrise and sunset. That is why we only see part of the sun at sunrise and sunset.

36. Students now have a beginning knowledge of the apparent movement of the sun during the day. The Student Web Lesson will help cement this concept into their long-term memory. This interactive Web lesson has audio capabilities to integrate reading and science. The Student Web Lesson can be done individually, but students gain the most from working in pairs as this strategy encourages discussions that assist students in understanding concepts. This Student Web Lesson will be included in the procedures for the next three lesson plans of this unit. Do not try to find time for every student to complete the Web lesson today. This is the third of five days to complete the Web lesson.

37. The Student Web Lesson can be found by clicking the link from the Weblinks, or the link from the unit plan. Once you have opened the Student Web Lesson, add it to your favorites by clicking the Favorites button, Click Add, then OK.

Writing –

38. Review the chart of things in the day sky. Ask for anything the students may want to add to the list. Discuss what there might be seven of in the day sky.

39. Remind students that they are creating a counting book somewhat like [Ten Black Dots]using yellow dots.

40. Ask students what today’s page in their counting books will be for. Ask how many yellow dots each student will need for this page.

41. Pass out one piece of light blue paper to each student. Ask whether this page will be about things in the day sky or night sky. Ask students to explain their answers.

42. Show a container with the yellow dots, and another container with numeral cutouts. Call on groups of students to come get seven dots from the dot container and a numeral 7 from the numeral container. As they get their dots and numerals, have students show you what they have selected as they walk back to their seat. Correct any miscounting or misconceptions as the individuals show you their dots and numerals. Mark your formative assessment checklist.

43. Have students place the dots and numerals on their papers (just place, not glue). Ask several students to share what their dots are going to be and what they are going to draw. Give feedback to help guide students such as, “Yes, if the dots are clouds, you can make rain coming out of them. Rain is in the day sky, too.” or “No, if the dots are fireworks, you could not see them in the day sky. What can the dots be in the day sky?”

44. Remind students that each page must have a story that goes with it. Demonstrate how the story on each page must match the picture on the page.

45. Stories should include the number word “seven,” that this is the day sky, and what the item is in the picture. Model a story about seven clouds such as: “Seven fluffy clouds are floating in the day sky. It is starting to rain. Look at the lightning!” Ask students what would be in the picture for this story.

46. Give examples and non-examples of stories that could be on the page. A non-example might include the story, “Seven clouds.” Explain that the story must say that the clouds are in the day sky. Remind the students that they need to tell what the clouds are doing.

47. Pass out crayons and/or markers. Have students turn their papers the tall way to do their drawing. (Then the large construction paper cover can be folded to be the front and back of the book.)

48. As students are drawing, they should be thinking about the story that goes with this page. Tell them to be ready to tell you their story as you come to them, and you will write their stories on their pages for them.

49. Assist students with sticking their dots to their paper.

50. As students are drawing, circulate and write students’ stories as they dictate them to you. Remind students that their stories must match their drawings; so only tell you a story about what they are drawing. Guide students to use the words “seven and day sky” in their stories. Give formative feedback as to whether their drawings are appropriate for the day sky and whether their stories match their drawings.

51. Have students store their completed pages in their gallon bags.

Homework –

52. Tomorrow you will be learning about the number eight. Ask your parents if they know of anything that has eight parts (like legs, arms, etc.).

53. Tell your parents about the Earth and how it turns to look at the sun.

Extensions

1. The reason for using an orange for the experiment is to align with the experiment show in the book used. A globe may be substituted for the orange, or a globe can be used in addition to the orange.

2. Students can do the Student Web Lesson as a whole group activity using a projector connected to the computer.

3. Students can do the Student Web Lesson in a lab setting.

4. With minor adjustments, this standard (reads and writes numbers to 10) could be added to the unit. This would require additional practice in writing the numerals.

5. Number words can be added to the wall cards, worksheets, and book pages.

6. Zero can be added to the wall cards and book pages.

7. Adult volunteers can help with assembling wall cards, gluing yellow dots and numerals, and taking dictations.

8. ESE modifications may include guiding students’ hands while touching the stars being counted or having students put a mark on rather than color the stars on the worksheet.

9. ESOL modifications may include reading to small groups of students rather than the whole group.

10. If the specific books used in this lesson cannot be located, a book with similar content can be substituted.

11. The Beacon Unit Plan associated with this lesson can be viewed by clicking on the link located at the top of this page or by using the following URL: http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/search/details.asp?item=2982. Once you select the unit’s link, scroll to the bottom of the unit plan page to find the section, “Associated Files.” This section contains links to the Unit Plan Overview, Diagnostic and Summative Assessments, and other associated files, (if any).

Attached Files

A student worksheet for the number 7 and the transparency master for The Sun Tells the Time.     File Extension: pdf