Math With Bears

Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling

• Take out the gummy bears and give about 25 gummy bears to each student. They will use these gummy bears to add and subtract the bears in Bears on Wheels.
• Tell your students that they can eat these gummy bears later.

Guided Practice/Interactive Modeling

• Read Bears on Wheels. You can use this book to teach your students number words as well as addition and subtraction.
• You can have the students follow along with the story by adding up the number of gummy bears along with the bears on wheels.
• Ask them how many bears they have throughout the story.

Independent Working Time

• After the students understand the concept of addition and subtraction, have them work on math problems. They can use their gummy bears as counters.
• Pass out Gummy Math! and have students complete it independently.

• Enrichment: Advanced students can try two-digit addition and subtraction. Practice Subtraction: Color in Mr. Bear can be used.
• Support: Struggling students would benefit from one-on-one support and single-digit addition problems. They can use the gummy bears as their counters. Once they've mastered single-digit addition, you can then move onto single-digit subtraction.

• Read Bears on Wheels again. However, before revealing the total sum of bears, have the student add them up and tell you the answer before you flip the page.

• Ask the students what addition and subtraction are. Ask them to give you examples of each.
• End the lesson by quizzing them with addition and subtraction questions.
• The students can eat the gummy bears after the lesson.