All About the Number 1: One Big Adventure!

Materials Needed

• Large paper or a whiteboard
• Crayon, marker, or pencil
• Small objects to count, such as blocks, buttons, or toy animals
• Paper plates or sheets of paper
• One favorite toy or stuffed animal
• Play dough or modeling clay
• 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 shape of the numeral 1.
• Find and use one object in a real-life activity.

Success Criteria

I can:

• Point to the number 1.
• Show one object.
• Say, “This is one.”
• Try to write or build the number 1.

Introduction: The One-Object Mystery

Time: 5 minutes

Place one favorite toy in front of the child. Keep the other toys out of sight.

Say:

“Look! I found something special. How many toys do you see?”

Help the child count: “One!”

Explain:

“One means just one. The number we use for one is 1.”

Show the numeral 1 on paper or write it clearly.

Tell the child:

“Today we will learn about the number 1. We will find one thing, move one time, and make a number 1.”

Body of the Lesson

Part 1: I Do — Meet the Number 1

Time: 5 minutes

Write a large 1 on paper or a whiteboard.

Say:

“This is the number 1. It looks like a straight line. Number 1 tells us there is one thing.”

Point to one object and model counting slowly:

“One block. I counted one block.”

Show examples of one item:

• One toy
• One clap
• One finger
• One jump

Ask:

• “How many toys are here?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “Can you say one?”

Part 2: We Do — Find One

Time: 8 minutes

Place several groups of objects nearby. Some groups should have one object, while others have two or more.

Invite the child to find a group with only one object.

Say:

“Let’s look carefully. Which group has one?”

Count each group together by touching each object once.

When the child finds one object, celebrate:

“Yes! You found one. One means just one.”

Think-and-Talk Questions

• “Can you find one block?”
• “Can you bring me one toy?”
• “Do you have one nose?”
• “Can you find one red thing?”

Part 3: Movement Game — Do It One Time

Time: 5 minutes

Give the child simple movement directions. Each action should happen one time.

• Clap one time.
• Jump one time.
• Spin one time.
• Touch one toe.
• Give one wave.

After each action, ask:

“How many times did you do it?”

Encourage the child to answer, “One time!”

Optional music choice: Let the child choose a song. Pause the song and give one-action directions.

Part 4: We Do — Make the Number 1

Time: 8 minutes

Model how to make the number 1:

1. Start near the top.
2. Make a straight line down.
3. Say, “Down to make 1!”

Invite the child to trace the number 1 with a finger first. Then let the child try with a crayon or marker.

Offer different ways to make the number:

• Trace a large 1 on paper.
• Draw a 1 in the air.
• Make a 1 with play dough.
• Build a 1 with blocks.
• Walk along a large 1 made with paper strips.

Use encouraging language:

“You started at the top and moved down. You are making a number 1!”

Part 5: You Do — One Treasure Hunt

Time: 8 minutes

Ask the child to find one item for each instruction. Let the child choose which safe items to collect.

1. Find one soft thing.
2. Find one blue thing.
3. Find one toy.
4. Find one book.
5. Find one small thing.

After each item, have the child place it on a paper plate or sheet of paper labeled 1.

Ask:

“How many did you bring each time?”

Allow the child to choose one favorite treasure and explain:

“I chose one ______.”

Real-Life Connection

Talk about things people may have one of:

• One home
• One bed
• One mouth
• One birthday each year
• One favorite toy

Ask the child:

“What is one thing you have?”

Formative Assessment: Quick Checks

Throughout the lesson, check understanding by asking the child to:

• Point to the numeral 1.
• Show one finger.
• Give you one object.
• Count one object.
• Tell whether a group has one object or more than one.

If the child is unsure, model the answer and try again with fewer objects.

Summative Assessment: Show What You Know

Time: 5 minutes

Invite the child to complete this mini-challenge:

1. Point to the number 1.
2. Choose one toy.
3. Count the toy by saying “one.”
4. Show one finger.
5. Trace or make a number 1.

Success benchmark: The child completes at least four of the five tasks with little or no help.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object at a time.
• Guide the child’s hand while counting or tracing.
• Use large objects that are easy to see and touch.
• Repeat the words “one” and “just one” often.
• Let the child answer by pointing instead of speaking.

For a Child Ready for More Challenge

• Ask the child to draw one object beside the numeral 1.
• Ask the child to find the number 1 in a book, calendar, or safe digital activity.
• Compare one object with a group of two or three objects.
• Invite the child to make a number 1 using a new material.
• Ask the child to create a short “number 1” story, such as, “One dog went for a walk.”

Conclusion: Tell What We Learned

Time: 3 minutes

Show the numeral 1 one more time.

Ask the child to finish these sentences:

• “The number for one is ___.”
• “I can show one with my ___.”
• “Today I found one ___.”

Recap:

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

End with one special action chosen by the child: one clap, one high-five, or one big jump.

Optional Follow-Up Activities

• Look for the number 1 on food packages, books, clocks, or calendars.
• Make a snack with one piece of fruit or one cracker.
• Read a counting book and pause whenever you see one object.
• Draw one sun, one house, or one family pet.
• Repeat the movement game during the day using one action at a time.