Number 1: One Special Thing

Materials Needed

• One favorite toy or object
• Paper
• Crayons or washable markers
• One small bowl or basket
• Five to ten small safe objects, such as blocks, toy animals, or large buttons
• Number cards or a hand-drawn card showing the numeral 1
• Optional: music for a movement activity

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Recognize the numeral 1.
• Count one object accurately.
• Show that “one” means a single object.
• Trace or draw the numeral 1 with support.
• Find examples of one object in everyday life.

Success Criteria

“I can show one object, say ‘one,’ find the number 1, and try to write it.”

Introduction: Hook and Objectives

Time: 5 minutes

Hold up one favorite toy or object.

Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one. Today we are going to learn about the number 1!”

Show the numeral card and say: “This is the number 1. Can you say ‘one’?”

Tell the child: “Today we will look for one thing, count one thing, move one time, and practice making the number 1.”

Body of the Lesson

1. I Do: Show and Explain

Time: 5 minutes

1. Place one object in the bowl.
2. Point to it and say slowly: “One.”
3. Touch the object one time while saying, “One.”
4. Show the numeral card and say, “This mark is the number 1.”
5. Model writing the number 1 in the air with your finger.

Use simple language:

“When we see just one object, we say one. One is not two. One is just one.”

Quick check: Ask, “How many objects are in the bowl?” Encourage the child to answer, “One.”

2. We Do: Find One

Time: 8 minutes

Place several groups of objects nearby. Make some groups have one object and others have two or more.

Say: “Let’s find a group with one object. Point to the group that has one.”

Try several examples:

• One block
• Two toy animals
• One spoon
• Three crayons
• One stuffed animal

After each choice, ask:

• “How many are there?”
• “Can you touch each object while we count?”
• “Is this one?”

Think and talk: Ask the child to name something they have only one of, such as “one nose,” “one bed,” or “one favorite blanket.”

3. We Do: Number 1 Movement Game

Time: 5 minutes

Explain: “When I say ‘one,’ we will do one movement.”

Try these actions:

• Clap one time.
• Jump one time.
• Turn around one time.
• Tap your knees one time.
• Take one big step.

Pause after each action and ask, “How many times did we do it?”

For extra fun, let the child choose one movement for the adult to copy.

4. You Do: One-Object Basket Hunt

Time: 8–10 minutes

Give the child the basket or bowl.

Say: “Find one safe object and put it in the basket. Remember: just one.”

Invite the child to search around the room or learning space. The child may choose a block, toy, spoon, sock, or another safe object.

When the child returns, ask:

• “What did you find?”
• “How many did you bring?”
• “Can you show me one finger to match one object?”

Repeat two or three times, allowing the child to choose a new object each time.

Choice: The child may search indoors, outdoors, or in a picture book for examples of one object.

5. You Do: Make the Number 1

Time: 8 minutes

Show the numeral 1 again.

Model the motion:

“Start at the top. Go down. That makes 1.”

Invite the child to try one or more of these options:

• Trace the number 1 with a finger.
• Draw the number 1 with a crayon.
• Make a number 1 using a toy block or craft stick.
• Trace the number 1 in the air.
• Make a large number 1 with play dough, if available.

Celebrate effort by saying, “You made a number 1!” Avoid requiring perfect handwriting.

Formative Assessment

Check understanding throughout the lesson by asking the child to:

• Show one finger.
• Give you one object.
• Point to the numeral 1.
• Choose which group has one object.
• Count one object without counting it more than once.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Time: 5 minutes

Place three groups of objects in front of the child: one group with one object, one group with two objects, and one group with three objects.

Ask the child to:

1. Point to the group with one object.
2. Say how many objects are in the group.
3. Show one finger.
4. Point to the numeral 1.
5. Try to draw or trace the numeral 1.

Meeting the goal: The child identifies one object and the numeral 1, and attempts to form the numeral 1.

Differentiation and Support

For a child who needs more support

• Use only one object and one numeral card at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while counting or tracing.
• Use large objects that are easy to see and touch.
• Repeat the phrase, “One means just one.”
• Keep the activities short and include movement breaks.

For a child ready for more challenge

• Ask the child to find one object in several different rooms.
• Ask, “What happens if we add one more?”
• Invite the child to compare one object with a group of two or three.
• Have the child make a page with one drawing, such as one sun or one flower.
• Look for the numeral 1 on a calendar, book, clock, or sign.

Real-World Connection

Explain that people use “one” every day:

• One child may take one turn.
• We may eat one banana.
• A person has one nose.
• We can choose one book to read.
• A recipe may ask for one cup.

Conclusion and Recap

Time: 3–5 minutes

Hold up one object and ask:

• “How many objects do I have?”
• “What number shows one?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you tell me one thing you learned?”

Recap together:

“Today we learned that one means just one. We found one object, counted one object, moved one time, and practiced the number 1.”

End with a cheerful chant:

“One little finger, one little toe, one is the number that we know!”

Optional Follow-Up Activity

During the day, invite the child to take a “number 1 walk” around the home. Look for one door, one clock, one pet, or one favorite toy. Each time the child finds one object, say, “That is one!”