Lesson Plan

Title Make Math Bear-Able

Subject Mathematics
Author Nikki Gilmore, being taught by Madison Pritchard
Grade level First Grade
Time duration 30-45 minutes (Time will vary on students understanding)
Overview/Objecti This lesson introduces understanding of basic addition and
ve subtraction methods and what ordinal numbers are to
students. They will receive a bear cave activity booklet to start.
With the other materials given they will practice their
knowledge and understanding with story problems. This will
give and show them how to use their creative minds to come
up with different ways on how to solve the story problem given.
Story problem workbooks (per student)
Materials Number line (per student)
12 teddy bear counters (per student)
12 teddy bear counters for the teacher
Workbook for the teacher
Overhead project
Activities and Within the allotted time hand out all the materials need. After
procedures all the students including the teacher has the materials, flip to
the instruction page and thoroughly explain. If need have the
kids read back just to make sure they grasp the concepts. Have
them work in the booklet using the numberline and bear
counters. Make sure to walk around the room and observe to
make sure the students are doing it correctly. After finished
with the booklet have students volunteer or pick one at a time
to go through how they solved each problem. If you have time
have them do a second activity for fun or extra credit. Pair up
with a partner and create your own story problem. After
created have them give it to their partner to try and solve.
Conclusions Make sure you hit all the steps. By hitting all the steps each
and every students should full grasp algebraic thinking and
how to use different methods. When observing the students,
 you want to make sure they are modeling addition and
subtraction using different counters.
Common Core
State Standard Operations & Algebraic Thinking

o 1.OAT.1 Use addition and subtraction within 20 to

solve word problems involving situations of adding
to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and
comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by
using objects, drawings, and equations with a
symbol...

o 1.OAT.2 Solve word problems that call for addition

of three whole numbers whose sum is less than or
equal to 20, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and
equations with a symbol for the unknown number
to represent the problem.

Extra credit Have them pair up, create a story problem with the bears on
their own them have their partner try and solve it. Extra credit
value can vary.
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