Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to add numbers using fun activities related to your interests in Minecraft, Nintendo Switch, cooking, playing outside, science, and drawing.

Materials and Prep

• Paper
• Pencil
• Counting objects (e.g., small toys, buttons, or beads)
• Access to a kitchen for cooking activity (with adult supervision)
• Access to outdoor space for playing outside activity
• Science experiment materials (e.g., water, containers, food coloring)
• Art supplies for drawing activity (e.g., crayons, markers, colored pencils)

Activities

1. Addition with Minecraft Blocks:

   Use paper and pencil to draw Minecraft blocks. Write different numbers on each block. Choose two blocks and add the numbers together. Repeat with different blocks.

2. Nintendo Switch Math Challenge:

   Write down a series of addition problems using numbers related to your favorite Nintendo Switch games. Solve each problem by adding the numbers together.

3. Cooking Math:

   Select a simple recipe to follow. As you measure and add ingredients, practice adding the quantities together. For example, if the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of sugar, add them together to find the total.

4. Outdoor Math Hunt:

   Head outside and find objects to count. Add the numbers together. For example, count the number of birds on a tree and the number of flowers in a garden, then add the totals.

5. Science Experiment Addition:

   Create a simple science experiment where you mix different amounts of colored water. Add the amounts together to find the total volume of liquid in the container.

6. Math Drawing Challenge:

   Draw pictures of your favorite things and label them with numbers. Add the numbers together to find the total number of items in your drawings.

First Grade Talking Points

• "Adding numbers means putting numbers together to find the total."
• "We can use different things we like, such as Minecraft blocks or Nintendo Switch games, to practice adding numbers."
• "In cooking, we can add the quantities of ingredients to find the total amount."
• "When we play outside, we can count objects and add the numbers together."
• "In science experiments, we can add the amounts of different liquids to find the total volume."
• "Even in drawing, we can add the numbers on labeled items to find the total number of things in our pictures."