Grouping

Objectives

• Students will be able to group objects by category and use an abacus to represent place value.
• Students will learn that materials can be grouped by different attributes. (As long as the student can explain what attribute he/she used to group the objects, the answer is valid.)

Kit Contents

• Red Program Folder

• Books (in kit)
  • Reid, Margarette S. The Button Box

• Equipment (in kit)
  • 2 Place Value Practice Boards
  • 22 Math Activity Sorting Cards
  • 6 Sorting Trays
  • Bag of Assorted Colored Bears

Lesson

• Activities
  • Place Value Board
    • Below each grouping of numbers, the name of that particular place value is given. In practice, the names of those places should be used in order to increase student familiarity with those terms.
    • Students should be taught to realize that the left most number is the one that gives the name, and that any zeros to the
      right of that are part of the number.
    • Places to the left of the first whole number, can be ignored or covered up. All places to the right should be visible.
    • Practice by giving your student a number verbally, and having him/her show you that number on the board. Alternatively, put a number on the board and have the student practice accurately naming the number.
  • Bears
    • Some attribute cards have been included as examples, do not limit yourself or your student to those.
    • Primary groupings are likely to be: "they are all bears", or then by color, or by shape.
  • Students should be introduced to the concept of Venn diagrams with overlapping characteristics and groupings. A bear may fit into the group of "baby bear" but, at the same time, it may also fit into the "blue" group and so would go in a space that overlaps circles of those two characteristics.
    • Draw two circles, one for the baby bear and one for the blue bears. Physically move the circle so one overlaps the other to give the idea that some bears fit in both categories, but others fit in just one of the two categories.
    • Practice with other things that share some characteristics and draw the Venn diagrams for them. (M & Ms work nicely for objects -- they are both candy and have colors for grouping. With or without nuts, etc.)
  • Notice people and objects that can be grouped in different ways to categorize or to help count them. Minutes on a clock are pre-grouped into groups of 5 for easier counting and sight recognition.

 

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