Begin unit by making guesses about the number of beans in jars. Then work in pairs to decide how to make a collection of 1000 items.
Adaptation for NESB students: Check the students' understanding of guess and check. Play games with classroom items. For example, Guess how many crayons I have in my hand. (Hide hand behind back.) Now let's see if you were right. Let's check. (Count crayons.) Play games like this until you can see each child understands what guess and check means.
Show the class three jars of beans - 10 beans, 100 beans and 1000 beans.
I want you to think about how many beans might be in those jars. You may look closely but you cannot tip them out and count them. I want you to guess how many might be in each jar. At the end of the week we will check your guesses.
Give each child 3 pieces of paper and ask them to record their guess and then put this in the box by each jar.
Adaptation for NESB students: Now I want you to write down the number you guessed for each jar. Writing down the number is called recording. Record the number for the first jar on this piece of paper, the number you guessed for the second jar on this piece of paper and the last number on this piece. Put the pieces of paper in a box by each jar. From now on use the words guess and record in context as many times as possible.
As the children record their guesses ask questions which encourage them to explain the reasoning behind their guesses.
Adaptation for NESB students: Encourage the children to use full sentences in their answers. Prompt with use of mathematical language: for example, There are not very many. There are lots. There are more in the second jar. The third jar has the most.
There are too many to count. I think the first jar is the easiest to work out because there are not very many beans in it. The third jar is the hardest because there are too many beans. Big numbers are harder to guess than small numbers.
This language of comparison may need to be modeled. Listen for the possible use of the words hundreds and thousands, this will give you information of students' present understanding of these numbers.
Ask for a volunteer to write 1000 on the board. Can we write it other ways?
Adaptation for NESB students: Distinguish between "1000", which is a number or a numeral, and "one thousand", which is the word for the number. Give examples using familiar numbers such as 2 and two.
How big is 1000? Discuss the ideas children have about 1000.
Adaptation for NESB students: Encourage correct use of comparatives and mathematical language.
Adaptation for NESB students: Talk about collecting and displaying.
Have children collect various things from around the classroom to ensure they understand collect. Have them collect some examples of students' work, art work, writing etc. Then discuss displaying the work for everyone to see. Talk about the displays already in the classroom. Give students practice at using the words, collect and display.
Tell children that this week they are going to work with a partner to collect and display a thousand objects or things. Record on paper the students' ideas for the 1000 collections.
Adaptation for NESB students: Make sure you talk about what you are doing, modeling the correct mathematical language. For example, I am going to record your ideas on this piece of paper. As individual children make suggestions ensure that all the children know what the things are that are being suggested, for example pebbles, rice bubbles, fingerprints and tooth picks from the chart shown may not be known by some students. Draw them or explain.
Discuss the ways that the collections may be displayed, for example:
Adaptation for NESB students: Be aware that words used by some students may not be understood by others. Accompany words such as box and bag and row with a sketch so that all students understand these terms. Names for containers and collections are often confused by new speakers of English.
Ask the children to work in pairs to decide on a collection idea. They are to record how they are going to collect the items (from home or from school) and how they are going to display the items to share with others. As the children make their decisions ask questions that encourage them to think about the reasonableness of their choice. Although some may still make impractical choices refrain from direct intervention as an important part of the learning is developing a sense of the size of 1000.
Published on: 09 Jan 2018
