Shannon Lawler

October 2, 2017

Lesson Title: A Pirate’s Life Grade: Kindergarten

Learning Target: The student will be able to recognize the concepts of more, less, and equal.

Grade Level Guide: Content Standards

Content Curriculum Focal Points Common Core State Interdisciplinary Connections

(ie: NCTM, IRA,…)
Number and Operations:
Representing, comparing, and
ordering whole numbers and
joining and separating sets.
Standards
Identify whether the Student will learn more about
number of objects in one pirates and different currency used
group is greater than, less around the world (i.e gold coins).
than, or equal to the number
of objects in another group,
e.g., by using matching and
counting strategies. (CCSS-
M: K.CC.C.6)

Academic Language: Some of the academic language needed for this lesson is more, less, and equal.
These concepts will be introduced in a large group discussion and reinforced in small group discussion.

Students’ Needs: The four characteristics and needs of children in this lesson are as follows:
1. Children need “constructive play”, where they create something or engage in problem solving
based on a given plan.
2. Children will need to learn through rote learning and will have work disguised as play.
3. Children will engage in the first level of the creative process by brainstorming and preparation.
Students will apply knowledge, skill, and understanding of materials, objects, and problems.
4. Children will need to use analytical thought to analyze, compare, contrast, evaluate, and explain
their learning processes.
This lesson plan supports Vygotsky’s idea that play assists the progress of cognitive development. When
students are playing, they are using information that they already know and building new information on
top of that.

Universal Design for Learning: For a group of students with special needs, I will include the following
Universal Designs for Learning:
1. Hearing Impairment: I will give clear and concise directions and face the student when
speaking to him or her. I will also provide written instructions
2. Orthopedic Impairment: I will encourage the student to participate in every aspect of the lesson
from start to finish. If the student is bound to a wheel-chair, I will re-arrange the classroom to fit
the chair and make sure the table is at the right height.
3. Intellectual Disability: I will review the key terms and academic language with the student prior
to the lesson. I will give the student a job during the lesson to ensure that he or she is actively
engaged with the material for the duration of the lesson.
Materials: The following list contains materials needed by both student and teacher:
 “Pleasing Pirate Pete” board game
o wood palate
o paint
o construction paper
o tape
 “Pirate Pete’s Talk Like a Pirate” by Kim Kennedy
 a piece of paper to keep score
 pencil

Language Function: My students will move from lower thinking to higher thinking by actively
engaging in the board game “Pleasing Pirate Pete”. The terms of more, less, and equal will become more
than just academic language. This board game will allow the terms to come to life and students will be
able to visualize what more, less, and equal looks like. This will be helpful in the future when these
terms reappear in future lessons.

Analyze, Argue, Describe, Evaluate, Explain, Interpret, Justify, Synthesize

Lesson Plan

Before: Before the lesson begins, I will read the book “Pirate Pete’s Talk Like a Pirate” by Kim
Kennedy to my students. This will excite the students and motivate them to participate in the lesson for
the day. I will begin talking to the students about number sense and knowing that a number references to
a certain amount of objects. In this case, I will use the gold coins in the board game as an example.

During: During the lesson, I will teach the students the rules for “Pleasing Pirate Pete”. I will complete
one round by myself and use the terms “more, less, and equal”. I will then hand out a score card for each
child and choose one student in particular to start with. The two of us will play one round and the
winner of the round will choose their next opponent. We will continue in this fashion until every student
has played one round. I will ask questions such as, “Do you have more or less than what Pirate Pete
wants? Do you have the perfect amount?”

After: After my lesson, I will conduct a large group discussion and ask questions about the board game.
I will collect the scorecards and see if the students used it as scrap paper to do math. The main form of
assessment will be informal assessments conducted throughout the lesson. I will know that students
have grasped the correct concept when they can properly play the game and know when they have
“pleased” Pirate Pete!
 Assessment:
Type of assessment Description of Modifications to Evaluation Criteria- How good is good
(formal or informal; assessment the assessment so enough to meet standards?
formative or What will students do to that all students (related to the learning objectives) Include
summative) show what they have may demonstrate scoring guide, rubric or other criteria
learned? learning
Informal formative Students will play the If students do not 3- Students grasp the concept of more,
assessment game correctly to know how to less, and equal and can communicate
show that they have write down his their thoughts appropriately.
grasped the concepts or her thoughts, I 2- Students almost grasp the concept of
of more, less, and will offer time more, less, and equal and can
equal. after class to communicate their thoughts
discuss the appropriately.
game. 1- Students do not understand the
concepts of the lesson.

Resources: I found this really Scholastic interesting article about the benefit of playing board games
with children. While board games can be used to enforce a lesson plan, they also teach excellent lifelong
lessons!

“The Benefits of Board Games.” Scholastic.com, Scholastic,

www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/creativity-play/benefits-board-games