Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand how numbers relate to each other in order to add and subtract by combining and separating, and comparing collections.

Materials and Prep

Materials needed: paper, crayons or markers

Prep: None

Activities

• Activity 1: Combine and Separate - Draw two groups of objects on paper. Ask the student to count each group, then combine them and count again. Repeat with separating the groups.

• Activity 2: Comparing Collections - Draw two different sets of objects on paper. Ask the student to compare the sets and tell you which has more or less.

Talking Points

• "Let's pretend we have 3 apples and 2 bananas. If we put them together, how many fruits do we have in total?"

• "Now, let's say we have 5 cars, and I take away 2 cars. How many cars are left?"

• "Look at these two groups of stars. Can you tell me which group has more stars and which has fewer stars?"

• "When we add, we are putting things together. When we subtract, we are taking things away."

• "Numbers can help us understand how many things we have and how many we have left after we take some away."