Math With Bears

Beginning

• Create an anchor chart that outlines the steps for the activity:
  • 1) Listen to the story.
  • 2) Use the gummy bears to show the bears in the story.
  • 3) Use the gummy bears to solve math problems.
  • 4) Eat the gummy bears!

Intermediate

• Tell students to estimate, or guess, how many gummy bears they have using the sentence frame, "I think I have ____ gummy bears." Tell them that later they will count their bears to check their estimate.

Beginning

• Allow students to count the number of bears in their home language (L1) if they do not know number names in English.
• Say different numbers sentences as the bears get on and off the wheels. Tell students to repeat after you, "____ plus ____ equals ____" as they add or subtract their own bears.

Intermediate

• Write the question, "How many gummy bears do you have?" on the board. Teach students that we say, "I have 10 gummy bears" and "She has 10 gummy bears."
• Tell students to share their total number of gummy bears with a partner. Choose a few volunteers to share how many gummy bears their partner has.

Beginning

• Show students how to use the gummy bears to solve an addition problem, for example 4 + 4 on the rug or document camera. Create two groups of four gummy bears each. Then, count the total number of gummy bears to solve the problem.
• Include examples of addition problems written both horizontally and vertically.

Intermediate

• Create a chart and label the parts of an addition number sentence. Point out that the equal sign in vertical addition problems is a straight line, and that the sum is written below that line.