Lesson plan
Comparing the World
Learning Objectives
Students will solve real-world word problems about measurement.
Introduction
(5 minutes)- Take pencils and divide them (not equally) between two tables.
- Ask, “Which table has more pencils on it?” Have students point to the table that they think has more pencils.
- Count how many pencils are on each table. Say “This table has more pencils than that table.”
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Explain that there are all sorts of things you can measure in the world. Tell the class that they just measured which table had more pencils and which table had less.
- Say, “More and less are opposites, just like big and small. You can compare groups of objects to see if there are more or less objects in each group, just like you can compare objects to see if they are bigger or smaller.”
- Pick three objects in the classroom and bring them to the front of the class. Tell students that you are going to put the objects in order from smallest to biggest. Order the objects, talking through how you know which ones are bigger and which ones are smaller.
Guided Practice
(10 minutes)- Tell students to go get three objects in the classroom. Have them order the objects from smallest to biggest.
- Hand out pieces of paper and have students draw the objects that they found, again ordering them from smallest to biggest.
Independent working time
(10 minutes)- Tell students that they are now going to practice solving real-world problems where they compare objects.
- Hand out the Measurement in the Kitchen and Measurement in the Garden worksheets. Have students complete the worksheets independently.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling
(10 minutes)- Explain that there are all sorts of things you can measure in the world. Tell the class that they just measured which table had more pencils and which table had less.
Differentiation
Enrichment: Have students write or verbally tell their own measurement word problems.
Support: Have students complete only half of the problems on the worksheet.
Assessment
(5 minutes)Assess students’ understanding by having them share their answers to a partner.
Review and closing
(5 minutes)Call on students to share a real-world word problem about objects in the classroom. Work together as a class to solve the problem.
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