Number 1 Adventure: One Wonderful Thing

Materials Needed

• One small toy or stuffed animal
• Paper
• Crayon or washable marker
• One large piece of cardboard or paper
• Small objects such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
• Optional: music for a movement game

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the numeral 1.
• Say that 1 means “one.”
• Count one object correctly.
• Trace or make the numeral 1.
• Find examples of one thing in everyday life.

Success Criteria

The child is successful when they can:

• Point to the numeral 1.
• Give one object when asked.
• Say, “This is one.”
• Make a recognizable numeral 1 with help or independently.

Introduction: The One-Thing Surprise

Time: 5 minutes

Hide one toy behind your back. Say:

“I have a surprise! How many toys do you think I have?”

Show the toy and say:

“I have one toy. One means just one.”

Invite the child to repeat:

“One toy!”

Tell the child:

“Today we will play with the number 1. We will find one thing, count one thing, and make the number 1.”

Body of the Lesson

Part 1: I Do — Meet the Number 1

Time: 5 minutes

Draw or display a large numeral 1. Point to it and say:

“This is the number 1. We say one.”

Hold up one finger and say:

“One finger.”

Place one toy on the table and say:

“One toy.”

Tap the table one time and say:

“One tap.”

Invite the child to watch as you slowly trace the numeral 1 in the air:

“Start at the top. Go down. Number 1!”

Quick Check

Ask:

• “Which number is this?”
• “How many toys are on the table?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”

Part 2: We Do — One or More?

Time: 7 minutes

Place different groups of objects on the table: one block, two buttons, one toy animal, and three crayons.

Point to each group and ask:

“Is this one?”

When the child finds a group with one object, celebrate:

“Yes! There is one!”

For groups with more than one object, say:

“Let’s count: one, two. That is more than one.”

Think-and-Share Prompt

Ask the child to look around and name one thing they can see. Examples might include:

• “One chair.”
• “One door.”
• “One teddy bear.”

Movement Game: One Jump

Say an instruction and have the child do it exactly one time:

• “Take one jump.”
• “Clap one time.”
• “Turn around one time.”
• “Touch one toe.”

Pause and ask:

“How many jumps did you take?”

Part 3: We Do — Make the Number 1

Time: 8 minutes

Place a large numeral 1 on the table. Trace it with your finger while saying:

“Start at the top and go down.”

Invite the child to trace the number with:

• A finger in the air
• A finger on the table
• A crayon on paper

Say:

“Your turn. Start at the top. Go down.”

Give specific encouragement:

“You started at the top.” or “You made a long line like the number 1.”

Part 4: You Do — Number 1 Treasure Hunt

Time: 10 minutes

Give the child a simple mission:

“Find one safe thing in each place. Bring or point to just one thing.”

Choose a few areas, such as a room, table, or outdoor space. In each area, ask the child to find one object.

For each object, ask:

• “What did you find?”
• “How many did you find?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”

Let the child choose how to record the discoveries:

• Draw one picture for each object.
• Place one sticker on a paper.
• Tell an adult about each object.

Part 5: Creative Activity — One Special Picture

Time: 8 minutes

Ask the child to draw one special thing. It might be one pet, one toy, one flower, or one person.

Help the child write or trace the numeral 1 beside the picture.

Talk about the drawing using simple sentences:

• “I drew one ____.”
• “I see one ____.”
• “Number 1 means one.”

Formative Assessment

Check understanding throughout the lesson by asking the child to:

• Point to the numeral 1 among two or three numerals.
• Hand over one object.
• Show one finger.
• Do one action.
• Tell whether a group has one object or more than one.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Place several objects on the table and say:

1. “Give me one object.”
2. “Point to the number 1.”
3. “Show me one finger.”
4. “Make the number 1 in the air.”
5. “Tell me something you have one of.”

Celebrate effort and accuracy. A child does not need to form a perfect numeral yet; a recognizable mark or guided tracing counts as progress.

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 5 minutes

Review the lesson with the child:

• “What number did we learn?”
• “What does 1 mean?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you find one thing near you?”

Say together:

“The number 1 means one. One is just one thing!”

End with a fun chant while holding up one finger:

“One, one, number 1! Learning numbers is so much fun!”

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while counting and tracing.
• Repeat the words “one” and “number 1” often.
• Use large objects and a large numeral.
• Offer choices such as, “Do you want one block or one toy animal?”

For a Child Ready for More Challenge

• Ask the child to find the numeral 1 in books, signs, or labels.
• Invite the child to sort groups into “one” and “more than one.”
• Ask the child to make a set with one object independently.
• Challenge the child to explain why a group has one object.
• Introduce the idea that zero means “none” and compare zero with one.

Real-World Connection

During the day, point out natural examples of one:

• One sun
• One nose
• One home
• One spoon on the table
• One book to read

Use the sentence frame: “I see one ____.”