Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to practice basic arithmetic skills while exploring the story of "Twas the Night Before Christmas".
Materials and Prep
- Paper
- Pencil
- "Twas the Night Before Christmas" book
Prior knowledge of addition and subtraction is helpful.
Activities
- Read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" together.
- Ask the student to identify numbers mentioned in the story (e.g., 8 reindeer, 12 stockings).
- Write down the identified numbers on a piece of paper.
- Ask the student to create addition and subtraction equations using the identified numbers.
- Encourage the student to solve the equations using manipulatives (e.g., counting objects) or mental math.
- Discuss the solutions and explain the concept of addition and subtraction in a real-life context.
- Repeat steps 2-6 for other numbers mentioned in the story.
First Grade Talking Points
- "In the story, Santa had 8 reindeer. Let's count them together: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. How many reindeer did Santa have?"
- "Santa visited 12 houses and left stockings. Can you count with me: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. How many stockings did Santa leave?"
- "Let's imagine Santa had 8 reindeer and he gave away 3 reindeer to his friends. How many reindeer does he have now? Let's solve it together."
- "If Santa had 12 stockings and he took away 5 stockings to give to his elves, how many stockings does he have left? Let's figure it out."