Summary
Supplemental activities to be used throughout an addition and subtraction unit.
Materials
Add Up the Beat
Addition and Subtraction Musical Chairs
Add Them Up
Basic Facts to 6
Adding 0 or 1
- Addition Unplugged CD
- Counters (any kind)
- Number Line
Additional Resources
CD
Background for Teachers
All the activities in this lesson are addition and subtraction based. It is
not designed to introduce addition and subtraction, rather, to supplement and
enrich lessons already being taught. This lesson is not designed to be completed
in one sitting. It may be done throughout an entire addition and subtraction
unit. These activities may be used as starter activities when introducing new
math concepts, particularly those that relate to addition and subtraction.
Intended Learning Outcomes
6. Communicate clearly in oral, artistic, written, and nonverbal form.
Instructional Procedures
Invitation to Learn
Use this invitation to review addition with doubles. Begin by
clapping a set number of times and the students respond by clapping back
the same number of times. The teacher and students then respond by
saying the addition sentence for the double they just clapped. For
example, the teacher begins by clapping four times, each time the teacher
claps s/he counts, "One, two, three, four." The students respond
by
clapping four times and saying, "Five, six, seven, eight." The
students
and teacher then together say, "Four plus four is eight."
Instructional Procedures
Add Up the Beat
- Students listen as the teacher
taps a drum or tambourine 6 times.
- Ask students how many times the teacher
tapped (6 times). Have
students place that many counters on the left side of the Two-Sided
Counting Mat.
- Students listen as the teacher taps 3 more times, then
place 3
counters on the right side of the Two-Sided Counting
Mat.
- Ask students to identify the addition sentence represented by
their
counters. Addition sentences may be recorded in math journals,
on chart paper, or white boards.
- Students clear their counting mats before
repeating this activity
with new number combinations.
This activity could be modified for subtraction sentences. The
first number the teacher taps is the total amount of counters
students use. The second number tapped is how many they
subtract, minus, or take away. The answer is how many counters
are left.
Addition and Subtraction Musical Chairs
Play musical chairs with a small group of students. Start out
with the same number of chairs as students. Each student needs
an Addition and Subtraction Sign. This is made by taking a
popsicle stick and gluing the addition sign on one side and the
subtraction sign on the other side.
- Place the chairs in a circle and have students walk around the
circle while music is playing. While the music is playing, the
teacher removes one or two chairs.
- When the music stops, have students quickly find a seat (if they
can!). All students should hold their Addition and Subtraction
Sign with the subtraction sign facing out, because the teacher took
chairs away. As a class, students should then identify the
subtraction sentence about the chairs. For example, if there were
7 chairs in the beginning and 2 were taken away, the subtraction
sentence would be 7 -- 2 = 5. The teacher may select one student
to record addition and subtraction sentences on chart paper, the
overhead, or the chalk board.
- Continue adding and subtracting chairs as
the game is played.
Write the corresponding number sentence after each time.
In this version of musical chairs, no one is "out" because
sometimes chairs are added and sometimes they are taken away.
Students who do not find a chair to sit on should remain standing
outside the circle of chairs and use their Addition
and Subtraction Sign like the other students.
Add Them Up
Start this activity by teaching students the song, "Add Them
Up," from the Addition Unplugged CD.
- While you are teaching
students this song, discuss the math
terms used. The first term is add. Ask students to tell you what
add or addition means.
- Record their responses on the board, overhead, or chart
paper.
Following the discussion on add, place the add word card in a
pocket chart. The second math term is answer. Again, ask
students to tell you what an answer is. Record their responses
on the board, overhead, or chart paper. Following the discussion,
place the answer word card in the pocket chart. Continue the
same pattern with the following math terms found in the song:
sum, addend, and total.
- After all the words have been introduced, sing the
song again.
Using the same pattern as above, introduce the following addition
terms that are not used in the song: and, plus, is, equals, and
same as.
- Have students participate in a group pocket chart activity. Write
ten different addition sentences on ten blank pocket chart work
strips. Write the addition sentences using numbers and symbols
(3 + 7 = 10). Place the addition sentence in the pocket chart, and
give a student one of the addition
word cards. The student must
place the addition word card under the appropriate place on the
addition sentence. For example, if the addition sentence is
4 + 2 = 6, and the student had the word card addend. The student
should place the word card under the 4 or 2. Continue with the
rest of the number sentences and word cards.
- Following the pocket chart
activity, students complete the
Addition Word Match worksheet independently. For this, students
cut apart the addition words and paste them under the appropriate
place on the addition sentences.
Basic Facts to 6
Before singing this song, students should be introduced to the
concept of the order property of addition, where the order of the
addends can be reversed.
- After students are familiar with the concept, sing
the song, "Basic
Facts to 6," from the Addition Unplugged CD.
- To sing the song, divide
the class into two groups. Choose a
volunteer from each group to place the appropriate Addition
Sentence Cards on a pocket chart as the class is singing the song.
(Addition Sentence Cards--Group
A & B may be used in various
combinations to introduce students to the order property of
addition.)
- During each chorus, two new volunteers may be selected.
Adding 0 or 1
This song helps students understand the value of zero in addition.
- For this
song, students should be seated at their desks with one
counter (any kind) and the Number Line.
- Sing the song, "Adding 0
or 1" from the Addition Unplugged
CD.
As students are singing the song, have them move their counters
on their number line according to the words of the song. Help
students see that when a zero is added, the number stays the same.
This song could also be done on the floor and students could use
their fingers to illustrate the math problems.
Extensions
- Many of these activities may
be integrated into other curriculum
areas. Writing about each activity is a great way to extend these
activities to a higher level of thinking. Students could write a
story using number sentences. For example, "There were children
playing at the park. Three children were playing on the swings
and seven children were playing on the jungle gym. All ten
children were having a wonderful time!"
- Modify activities that
use addition to use subtraction. These
activities may be done in small groups or used as activities for
center time.
- For students with special needs, make sure that the words to
the
music are written clearly and are visible at all times. Illustrations
may need to be included with the words for ELL students or
others with special needs. For some activities, students with
special needs may need to be paired up with another student or
adult for assistance.
Family Connections
- For Add Up the Beat, students could take the place of the teacher
while family members act as the students and model the addition
problems using cereal, beans, or macaroni.
- Addition and Subtraction Musical
Chairs may also be played with
family members. One player would act as the leader and run the
music, move the chairs, and write the addition or subtraction
sentence. Players rotate so that all family members have a turn to
be the leader.
Assessment Plan
- The best way for teachers to assess the following activities is through
observation. Teachers observe the way students work with manipulatives, participate
in the activities, and sing the songs.
- Use the worksheets that accompany the activities as a means to assess student's
understanding.
- Students record their understanding in journals or orally explain the math
concepts to the teacher.
Bibliography
Research Basis
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple
Intelligences.
Basic Books,
New York.
Howard Gardner suggests that intelligence is not unitary. There are
several ways to be smart. He identified eight intelligences:
Verbal/Linguistic, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Logical/Mathematical, Naturalist,
Visual/Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Musical/Rhythmic.
Students who are “music smart” like to hum, sing, enjoy listening
to music, and learn through lyrics and music.
Kestrom, J.M. (1998). The Untrapped Power of Music: It’s Role in the
Curriculum and It’s
Effect on Academic Achievement. NASSP Bulletin, 82(597), 34-43.
Music instruction is a powerful tool that can be used to help promote
academic achievement.