LESSON PLAN

JMU Elementary Education Program

Natalie Wainner
Amber Wampler, Kindergarten, Mountain View Elementary
Lesson planned for November 11th at 11:10am
Submitted to practicum teacher November 4th

TITLE OF LESSON Ten Black Dots:

Ten Black Dots is a math lesson plan directed towards kindergarteners, and based off of Donald Crews
childrens book, Ten Black Dots. The lesson encompasses recognition and comprehension of the
numbers one through ten. The activity that is associated with this book (the book will be read first)
involves the students picking a preferred number of black cutout circles (any number one through ten),
and creating a drawing that incorporates those dots. For example, a student could glue two black dots on
his or her paper and make a smiley face out of it. This is a popular lesson plan for kindergarteners found
on Pinterest and other websites for educators; however, my Cooperating Teacher suggested it to me,
given that it is relevant to the curriculum (A Place Called Kindergarten).
CONTEXT OF LESSON

The children in my kindergarten practicum class have a general understanding of numbers and
can confidently count the numbers one through ten. However, the students have yet to grasp the
meaning of each number and what it might look like when physically represented by objects.
This activity gives them competence in visibly recognizing what a certain number looks like. In
my classroom, the students often do crafts with shape cutouts, and are responsible for counting
and recording how many of each shape they used in their craft. I always check the students
work to see if they were accurately able to count the shapes. The students are usually a few
numbers off, likely because they lose track of what number they were on, or they have yet to
fully grasp the concept of numbers being physically represented. This indicates to me that the
children are in need of an activity such as Ten Black Dots because they are able to count in their
head, but struggle with counting objects. The teaching of the numbers one through 10 is a part of
my Cooperating Teachers curriculum sequence. She and I decided on this lesson plan given that
it is very relevant and essential information for students to have a foundation of understanding in
at this point in the year.
OBJECTIVES AND ASSESSMENT
Developmental Objectives
1. The students will select a preferred
number of black dots to use in their craft
and glue them onto a piece of paper in the
appropriate area having already
considered placement of their dots relative
to the drawings they will make

Assessment
I will assess the students through conversations about how many dots
they anticipate using and what they plan to make out of it. I will also
observe students to see if they are carelessly gluing dots around the page
without much consideration about what they plan on creating out of it.
Oftentimes, students will verbally express what they plan on making,
which is a sign of preplanning and deliberation. This data will be
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collected at the beginning of the activity, as the students are choosing

their numbers of dots and gluing them on their papers.

2. The students will design and illustrate

an image that incorporates all of the black
dots that were originally glued on paper

Know/Do (Learning objectives)

The students will describe how
many black dots they chose to
use, why they chose that many,
and what they plan to create out
of it.

The students will follow

through with instructions by
appropriately drawing an object
that incorporates his or her
black dots, and fills in the
blanks, ____ dot(s) makes a
_____

Student performance on this objective will be assessed by viewing

students process of creating their illustration utilizing their number of
dots. I will make discernments about student preference and technique, as
well as what strategies they used to draw their image. I will also take
pictures of students final drawings to determine the relevancy of the
drawing to the black dots.

Assessment Plan
I will listen for language that expresses that a child is prepared with a plan and tells
how they will implement it. For example, if a student says, Im going to use four
dots to make a caterpillar, it tells me that they understand the purpose of the
activity. On the other hand, if a student is gluing dots on his or her paper yet claims,
I dont know what Im making yet, it is evident that they have not put much
thought into the assignment in advance. However, a student may be more
spontaneous by gluing dots on first and creating something from that. This is okay,
so long as the student is able to appropriately create something out of their dots
within reason and can explain it.
I will observe the childs technique of drawing and if he or she appears to have a
rhyme and reason to what is being drawn. I will also note the students final product
to discern if the childs drawing relatively accurately incorporates the black dots. I
will record any language associated with a childs drawing that expresses what a
drawing is [if its difficult to interpret]. Lastly, I will note if the child was able to
accurately write the number of black dots they used, and the word of the object that
they made out of it.

RELATED VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING

K.3 The student, given an ordered set of ten objects and/or pictures, will indicate the ordinal position of
each object, first through tenth, and the ordered position of each object.
K.2 The student, given a set containing 15 or fewer concrete objects, will
1.

a) tell how many are in the set by counting the number of objects orally;

2.

b) write the numeral to tell how many are in the set; and

3.

c) select the corresponding numeral from a given set of numerals.

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K.1 The student will create works of art that represent personal responses to art-making problems.
K.2 The student will create works of art that express feelings and ideas.
K.5 The student will create works of art that connect to everyday life.
MATERIALS NEEDED

Book: Ten Black Dots by Donald Crew- Provided by CT

Booklet papers with sentence lines - Provided by CT
Black cutout circles- Provided by myself
Glue- Provided by CT
Crayons- Provided by CT
Smart Board- Provided by MVES

PROCEDURE
Preparation of learning environment The activity will be set up in advance with 19 prepared booklet papers on
which the children will do their craft, several dozen black cutout circles in a
Ziploc, and crayons and glue at each table.
Engagement and introduction of the lesson The lesson will be introduced with the book, Ten Black Dots, which I will read and discuss with
the students. I will ask them to recall certain drawings they saw in the book, and how many black
dots were used. After reflecting on some of the examples in the book, I will then explain the
activity and how they should go about this craft.
At this point, I will allow children to brainstorm ideas and I will write examples of things they
could draw so that the students are not confused about where to start. Together, we will make a list
of examples until I am confident the children have enough ideas in order to begin the activity.
Prior to commencing the activity, I will model an example of the craft on the smart board using a
Promethean camera. First, I will tell them what I plan on creating and how many black dots I will
need in order to construct my object. Next, I will actually glue on some black dots and create a
drawing out of it; for example, three dots can make a cat.
Implementation of the lesson In order to implement the lesson, I will let the students know that they can use any of the
examples written on the smart board, or they can design their own. With that being said, I will
highly suggest that they have an idea set in their minds prior to beginning. As I call the students
over by rug color, I will hand out booklet papers and set a handful of dots out on each table. I
will also instruct them to first place their dots on their papers and think of their illustration prior
to gluing. I will walk around the room asking various students what drawings they plan on
creating from their black dots. During the activity, I will supervise and direct students, while
answering any specific questions they may have.
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Closure My transition will include me asking each child to clean up the area around him or her once they
are finished.
Typically when the children are finished with something at the worktables (ex. snack, word
work) they are to pick out a look book to read through. I will instruct them to find a book from
the shelf and to sit down on the main rug and read quietly until the rest of their friends finish up.
Once all of the students have cleaned up and come to the rug, I will instruct them to put their
books back (first by calling on the boys to return theirs, then by calling on the girls to prevent
chaos) on the shelf.
A quick reflection and discussion will take place on the rug- I will ask them a few simple
questions, such as, Did you like this activity? What drawings did you making using the black
dots? Can you think of any other drawings/objects that could be made that weve not
mentioned?
Clean-up
Though I would have asked students to pick up trash, crayons, etc. around them, typically there
are still supplies lying around. I will make my way around the classroom, picking up any
supplies I see on the ground after the lesson. I will also make sure that each booklet page has
been collected and placed in a safe spot.
DIFFERENTIATION
Some of the kindergarteners in my practicum classroom tend to be careless with their crafts and
activities. In order to meet the needs of these students to ensure that they are able to follow
through with this activity appropriately, I will ask them what their initial ideas are prior to
beginning the craft. This will reiterate to them that they actually need to create something using
the black dots, rather than just gluing and coloring wherever they want. The few students with
limited English language proficiency are usually on track in terms of learning activities;
however, I will also pay close attention to them to make sure they understand directions and are
confident going into the activity. When it comes to those children who struggle with objectives, I
will specifically call on these students for ideas of examples to use prior to beginning the
activity. That way, the student can begin brainstorming in advance and can form ideas on his or
her own. My modeling an example of this activity in front of the class is also intended to prevent
objective confusion.
WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
A few potentially embarrassing situations could occur if I am not prepared and/or dont follow
through with my plans. Its important that I write down the order of events that will take place in
order to avoid confusion. If I accidentally forget to model the craft to the students, they will not
fully understand the activity and the situation will become chaotic. I also need to make sure I
give the students the correct booklet sheet, given that some say ___ dot makes a _____
(singular), and others say, ____ dots make a _____. If I accidentally hand out the wrong
papers, the students may be confused, and it will be embarrassing for me to send home a
grammatically incorrect activity to parents. In order to prevent this from happening, I will have
two separate piles; one for singular and one for plural. That way, I can ask the students to raise
their hands if they will be using one dot, or more than one dot.
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Bell,J.10BlackDots.APlaceCalledKindergarten.RetrievedNovember13,2016,from
http://www.aplacecalledkindergarten.com/2010/10/10blackdots.html

PICTURES

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Lesson

Plan
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Reflection

How did your actual lesson differ from your plans? Describe the changes you made & explain why you
made them. Be thorough & specific in your description.
Though I followed through with the general plans that I had for my lesson plan, many things I said to the
students ended up being spontaneous and in the moment, rather than particularly planned. I decided to be
unstructured with my wording in order to ease my nerves and make the students feel more comfortable
with me essentially being the teacher for the first time. I didnt want to seem uptight and anxious as a
result of planning every word I said, so I chose to be lighthearted and casual, while still executing the
things needed to be done throughout the lesson. I also realized, after reading through my lesson plan
afterwards, that I completely forgot to have a follow-up the students asking them questions about their
crafts. This is something that I will have to be better prepared for in the future.
Evaluate the impact of the lesson based on your plan for assessing learning and the individual data you
collected on each objective. Cite multiple examples of student behavior & language that document your
conclusions. (8 pts)
One of my developmental objectives for the students was for them to plan in advance their drawings so
that the activity could be accurately carried out. One of my practicum students thought ahead and
actually used an idea from the book I read in the beginning, showing that the expectations were
understood. I believe the students mostly followed through with the directions, as indicated in the data
collection sheet from an observer. All of the students were able to successfully plan out what he or she
would create, and were able to glue on black dots accordingly (objective one). The portion of my lesson
where we brainstormed ideas of drawings seemed to really help the students (despite the fact that many
of them chose to copy my example of a cat). In regards to the second step of this activity, some students
struggled with writing their numerals and words, which is expected at their age. This part of the activity
was the part that required most attention and assistance from me. Though I had to assist several students
in writing numbers and words, it is activities like this that the students get practice in increasing their
writing skills.
Describe at least one way you could incorporate developmentally appropriate practice in a better or more
thorough way if you were to present this lesson again.
I believe that having a better understanding of what is individually appropriate for each student is a way
to incorporate developmentally appropriate practice into my lesson [if it were to be taught again]. Given
that I know my practicum students very well at this point in the program, I feel that Ive developed an
understanding of their general abilities, strengths, weaknesses, etc. With that being said, I am aware that
some students require more attention than others. This slipped my mind during my lesson; I recall being
halfway through the activity before noticing that one of the students that struggles with fine motor skills
(gluing and coloring in particular) was having a hard time with the project. I realized I should have
assisted and guided him right from the start. Having an idea of a childs abilities and developmental
progress in comparison to other students is definitely a good way to incorporate DAP into a lesson more
so.
If you were the teacher in this classroom, what follow-up experiences would you plan?
Given that the students struggled mostly with the objective that included filling in the blank, ___ dots
makes a ____, as a teacher, I would definitely implement a follow-up activity that would assist with
writing numbers and basic words. Some of their free time is spent coloring pictures (pumpkins, fall
leaves, etc.), which is great, but I would incorporate numerals into these fun activities. This allows them
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to continue practicing coloring, yet incorporates the skill they struggle with. Another craft that could be
done after this for the students to practice writing their numerals is to do a Cotton Swab Letter Painting
activity, yet with numbers (The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide). This is an entertaining approach to
learning to write out numbers, not just understanding counting.

Share something you learned about young children as a result of planning and conducting the activity.
After reflecting on the notes given to me from observers and Dr. Barnes, I was able to recall all of the things that
I knew needed improvement as well as things I had not considered prior to my lesson. During the stressful, busy
times of teaching, its hard to focus on so many different elements of the lesson, so evidently some things in my
lesson were left out, or could have been said/done differently. For example, I didnt think about preparing the
smart board or understanding how to use the projector camera. It also slipped my mind to inform the students
what to do once they had finished their activity- my CT had to remind me and that triggered my mind and
reminded me that thats something I should have known to do. Lastly, I struggled with holding the rather large
book that I read to the students. I didnt prepare myself in the sense that I didnt know the proper way to hold
and read it without struggling. From this lesson, Ive concluded that planning every minor detail is important,
and is necessary for the students to develop from. The students need consistency and preparedness from a lesson
in order to be successful in their learning.
Share something you learned about teaching as a result of planning and conducting this activity. Describe
how you will apply this new knowledge to upcoming opportunities for developing learning experiences for
children.
From planning and conducting this activity with my kindergarten students, I recognized the immense amount of
thought, concern, and planning that goes into only one lesson. I was incredibly stressed and nervous for that one
lesson, and cant even imagine what its like to plan and prepare lessons for an entire week and implement them
successfully. Ive also learned that teaching lessons will likely become easier and more natural over time with
practice; however, reflection and deliberation after each lesson is necessary. In teaching new lessons in the
future, I plan to think ahead of certain details I may be omitting in the lesson, such as the ones described in the
previous questions. Though I had my lesson plan prepared, I overlooked some small, yet important parts of my
lesson that are necessary.
Share something you learned about yourself as a result of planning & conducting this activity?
Teaching my lesson with the kindergarteners was such a rewarding experience- not only did the students seem to
enjoy it, but I received so much gratification from it myself. I gained so much confidence in myself seeing the
students so engaged and excited to learn and share their knowledge and experiences. I learned that I am more
capable than I think I am, and that I should be proud of my passion to teach. On the other hand, I also learned
that there are some things that cannot be spontaneous, and need additional thought and preparation. Considering
this in the future will help me to feel better prepared and will hopefully make the lesson more effective.

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Erickson, J. Learn to Write the Alphabet with Cotton Swab Painting. The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide.
Accessed November 13, 2016 from http://thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide.com/2015/02/learning-towrite-alphabet-with-cotton.html?:+thestay-at-home-momsurvivalguide/IefH+(The+Stay-at-HomeMom+Survival+Guide

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