Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to practice basic arithmetic skills using Lego blocks.
Materials and Prep
- Lego blocks (various colors and sizes)
- Number cards (0-9)
- Counting mat (optional)
Before starting the lesson, make sure you are familiar with the basic arithmetic operations: addition and subtraction.
Activities
- Counting with Lego: Use the Lego blocks to practice counting from 1 to 10. Build a tower with one block, then add another block on top, and continue until you reach 10. Count out loud as you add each block.
- Addition with Lego: Select two number cards randomly (e.g., 3 and 4). Build towers with the corresponding number of Lego blocks for each card. Combine the towers and count the total number of blocks. Encourage the student to say the addition equation out loud, such as "3 plus 4 equals 7."
- Subtraction with Lego: Select two number cards randomly (e.g., 7 and 2). Build a tower with the first number of blocks and remove the number of blocks indicated by the second card. Count the remaining blocks and encourage the student to say the subtraction equation out loud, such as "7 minus 2 equals 5."
Kindergarten Grade Talking Points
- "Mathematics is all about numbers and counting. Today, we will use Lego blocks to practice our counting and basic addition and subtraction skills."
- "Let's start by counting the Lego blocks. We will build a tower, adding one block on top of another, and count out loud as we go."
- "Now, let's practice addition with Lego. We will randomly select two number cards, build towers with the corresponding number of blocks, and then combine them to find the total."
- "Lastly, we will practice subtraction with Lego. We will randomly select two number cards, build a tower with the first number of blocks, and then remove the number of blocks indicated by the second card."
- "Remember, addition means combining or putting things together, while subtraction means taking away or removing some things."