Number Sense Fun

Objective

Students will develop fluency in addition and subtraction within 20, applying number sense strategies aligned with California Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics.

CCSS Alignment:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.C.6: Add and subtract within 20.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.B.2: Understand place value (tens and ones) – reinforcing number sense.

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Materials

• Interactive whiteboard (Smart Board) with pre-loaded number sense practice software or interactive games
• Video player and a short animated number sense video (~5 minutes)
• Halloween-themed number sense worksheet for addition and subtraction (with pumpkins, bats, candy corn visuals)
• Dice (1 or 2 per small group)
• Decks of number cards (1-10)
• Chart paper or large sheets for group problem creation
• Markers

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Time Breakdown (30 Minutes)

Activity	Time	Details
Introduction and Video	5 minutes	Play a lively, age-appropriate number sense video focusing on adding and subtracting within 20. Highlight fun Halloween-themed examples.
Smart Board Number Practice	8 minutes	Students come individually or in pairs to solve addition and subtraction problems using the Smart Board interactive practice activities. Teachers circulate to support.
Halloween Number Sense Worksheet	8 minutes	Students complete a themed worksheet with addition and subtraction problems, reinforcing skills with engaging Halloween visuals.
Group Creation & Sharing Activity	9 minutes	Students form small groups of 3-4. Using dice/cards, they create their own Halloween-themed addition or subtraction math problems. Groups share their problems aloud and solve each other’s on chart paper, fostering collaboration and verbal reasoning.

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Detailed Procedures

1. Introduction and Video (5 mins)

• Gather students on the carpet or at tables.
• Introduce today’s focus: adding and subtracting numbers up to 20 with spooky Halloween fun.
• Play a vibrant, animated number sense video that features characters counting pumpkins, bats, and candy. The video should illustrate strategies such as counting on, doubles, and making ten.
• After the video, briefly engage students with quick questions: “How many pumpkins did the witch have before and after she gave some away?” to prime their thinking.

2. Smart Board Number Practice (8 mins)

• Invite students one at a time or in pairs to the Smart Board.
• Present interactive addition and subtraction problems themed around Halloween (e.g., “If there are 7 bats and 5 more fly in, how many bats are there?”).
• Students use touch gestures to select answers or move digital counters.
• Provide immediate feedback and encouragement.
• While students take turns, the rest of the class can quietly watch and think of strategies, with the teacher facilitating brief questions on approaches (“Did you count on or use fingers?”).

3. Halloween Number Sense Worksheet (8 mins)

• Hand out a worksheet with fun Halloween illustrations incorporating addition & subtraction problems within 20 (e.g., spiders on a web, witches stirring 9 + 6 potion bubbles, or ghosts flying away 15 - 7).
• Circulate and provide support as students work independently.
• Reinforce using number lines and counting strategies from the video and Smart Board.

4. Group Creation & Sharing Activity (9 mins)

• Divide class into five groups of 3-4 students.
• Provide each group with two dice or a set of number cards.
• Task: Create at least two Halloween-themed addition or subtraction problems using the numbers rolled or drawn (e.g., “There were 4 pumpkins and we rolled a 3 - how many now?”). They write problems on large chart paper with corresponding Halloween illustrations.
• Each group picks one problem to share aloud; classmates collaborate to find the solution using mental strategies, fingers, or drawn pictures.
• Teacher facilitates, encouraging mathematical discussions (“Who wants to explain their thinking?”), reinforcing language and reasoning skills vital to CA standards.

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Assessment & Differentiation

• Informal assessment through observation during Smart Board activity and group sharing.
• Provide manipulatives (counters, number lines) for students who need tactile support.
• Challenge advanced students to create two-step addition/subtraction problems within 20 in their groups.
• Use positive reinforcement and prompt students to explain their reasoning to deepen conceptual understanding.

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Reflection & Extension Ideas

• Record students’ group-created problems to compile a “Halloween Math Storybook” for the classroom library.
• Encourage families to play similar addition/subtraction dice games at home as homework.
• Link the lesson to reading by having students write a short Halloween math story based on their created problems.

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Teaching Tip:
In first grade, embedding play and social interaction into math lessons greatly enhances engagement and conceptual retention. This plan balances technology, hands-on work, and cooperative learning perfectly aligned with California’s preschool-through-grade-3 Math Framework emphasis on number sense development through diverse modalities.