One Amazing Thing: Learning About the Number 1

Materials Needed

• Large paper or a whiteboard
• Marker or crayon
• Number cards or a paper card showing the number 1
• Small objects, such as blocks, buttons, toy animals, or spoons
• Paper and crayons
• Optional: music for a movement game

Learning Objectives

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

• Recognize the number 1.
• Count one object correctly.
• Show one object when asked.
• Trace or draw the number 1 with support.
• Connect the idea of “one” to real-life examples.

Success Criteria

Success looks like this:

• “I can find the number 1.”
• “I can give you one thing.”
• “I can count one object.”
• “I can try to make the number 1.”

Introduction: One Special Thing

Hook: Hold up one favorite toy or object.

Say: “Look! I have one toy. One means just one. Can you show me one finger?”

Invite the child to look around and find one thing they like. Ask:

• “Can you find one red thing?”
• “Can you bring me one toy?”
• “How many toys did you bring?”

Tell the child: “Today we will learn about the number 1. We will count one thing, find the number 1, and make the number 1.”

Body of the Lesson

I Do: Teacher or Adult Demonstration

Place one block on the table. Touch it once and say slowly, “One.”

Show the number card and say: “This is the number 1. It tells us that there is one thing.”

Model counting:

1. Point to the block.
2. Say, “One.”
3. Stop counting after one.

Draw the number 1 while saying: “Start at the top. Go down. Now we made a 1!”

Use simple examples:

• “I have one nose.”
• “I have one mouth.”
• “A bicycle has one seat for you.”
• “The sun is one big sun in the sky.”

Quick Check

Ask: “How many blocks are here?” Hold up one block. Praise the child for looking, pointing, or answering.

We Do: Count and Find One

Place two or three small objects in front of the child. Say: “Let’s give the teddy bear one block.”

1. Ask the child to choose one object.
2. Help the child count it: “One.”
3. Have the child place it beside the teddy bear or in a bowl.
4. Repeat with different objects.

Try a “One or More?” game. Show either one object or a small group of objects. Ask:

• “Do I have one?”
• “Do I have more than one?”

Use gestures. Hold up one finger for “one” and spread out several fingers for “more.”

Movement Game: One-Step Actions

Say: “When I say ‘one,’ do one action.” Give directions such as:

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

Pause after each action and ask: “How many did you do?”

You Do: Show Me One

Invite the child to complete the tasks independently, offering help as needed:

1. Find the number 1 from two or three number cards.
2. Bring one object from the room.
3. Place one object on a plate or piece of paper.
4. Show one finger.
5. Count one object aloud.

Give specific feedback:

• “You chose one block.”
• “You stopped after counting one.”
• “You found the number 1.”

Creative Activity: Make the Number 1

Give the child paper and crayons. Demonstrate making a large number 1.

Let the child choose one way to make the number:

• Trace a dotted number 1.
• Draw a large number 1.
• Decorate a printed number 1.
• Make a number 1 with blocks, play dough, or a finger in sand.

While working, repeat: “This is 1. One means just one.”

Real-World Connection

Go on a “One Hunt” around the home. Look for examples of one. Possible examples include:

• One front door
• One refrigerator handle
• One television remote in a chosen spot
• One family pet
• One favorite book

Let the child choose one item to draw. Ask: “What is one thing you found?”

Assessment

Formative Assessment

During the lesson, observe whether the child can:

• Show one finger.
• Choose one object.
• Count one object without continuing to count.
• Recognize the number 1 among other numbers.
• Follow a one-step direction.

Summative Demonstration

Ask the child to complete this short challenge:

1. “Find the number 1.”
2. “Give me one object.”
3. “Count it.”
4. “Show me one finger.”
5. “Try to draw a 1.”

The child meets the goal if they complete most tasks with little or moderate help.

Differentiation and Support

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only one object and the number 1 at first.
• Guide the child’s hand while counting or tracing.
• Use large objects that are easy to see and touch.
• Repeat the same language: “One means just one.”
• Allow pointing, touching, or showing a finger instead of speaking.

For a Child Ready for More

• Ask the child to find one item of a certain color or shape.
• Compare one object with a group of two or three objects.
• Invite the child to write the number 1 without tracing.
• Ask the child to make a picture using one sun, one tree, or one house.
• Have the child teach someone else how to show one.

Conclusion and Recap

Hold up the number card and ask:

• “What number is this?”
• “How many is one?”
• “Can you show me one finger?”
• “What is one thing you found today?”

Say: “Today we learned that 1 means one thing. We found one, counted one, and made the number 1.”

Finish with a celebration: clap one time together and say, “Hooray for number 1!”

Optional Follow-Up

During the day, look for one more example of the number 1. At mealtime, ask the child to place one napkin, one spoon, or one cup on the table.