Sally sells sea shells by the shiny sea shore.....

I really love when a lesson comes together and gives students a chance to shine.

The math lesson I focused on today was part of the Common Core First Grade Math Standards - "Operations and Algebraic Thinking 1.OA
Represent and solve problems involving addition.
1. Use addition within 20 to solve word problems involving
situations of adding to, putting together.
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.

The lesson started with our Singapore Math problem solving. The problems that we are working on now are using three addens, so students are getting used to working with numbers within 20. After we problem solved, we moved to the computer. I like to add a computer/technology component to most of my lessons. We went to Harcourt School Publishers website to do Seashell Search as a class using our flatscreen tv as a monitor and my teacher computer to complete the activity. We talked about different addition strategies as we worked the problems. We discussed doubles facts, counting on, counting up, etc. Then we moved from the carpet and into "work buddies." Students just slid their desk next to the person next to them and they were given seashell themed workmats and seashells. I got the templates from this great book, Math Work Stations by Debbie Diller!

Modeling for students how their addition sentences should look

Seashell work mats from Debbie Dillers work station book

Student using the shells and work mat to create addition sentences

Whole class recording sheet - Students told me the different ways they were able to make 10. We circled the doubles fact.

Then students were given large size index cards and they worked together to create addition sentences using the seashells and used the large index cards as their recording sheets. This really allowed students to work at their level. Many students looked at how to add three numbers, many students gave the commutative property as they created their addition sentences. As I walked around and monitored their work, I heard them problem solving, fact checking, and helping their work buddies to see how to make different combinations.

After about 8 minutes of synergy with their buddies, I told them they now had a task to tell me many ways to make 10. They put their extra seashells back in the Ziploc bags and only left out 10 shells. Then they had to work again for about 5 minutes to make combinations that would equal 10. Then after the time was up, they told me their different combinations and I recorded them on the board. They were really excited about the math lesson today and it really let them use manipulatives, problem solving, and socialization skills to think mathematically.