Grade: 1st                                            Integrated disciplines:

NE Standards:
1.1.4.  By the end of first grade, the students will demonstrate the value of numbers (0-20) using concrete objects.

1.2.1.  By the end of first grade, the students will demonstrate the concepts of addition and subtraction up to 10.

1.2.2. By the end of first grade, students will justify estimations to mathematical problems.

Objectives:
- To estimate the number of each M&M color from their given bag..
- To predict the color they think will occur the most.
- To sort the M&M’s by their color.
- To count the numbers of each color of M&M’s.  

Assessment:
- Students will correctly estimate the number of M&M’s in their bag.

- Students will sort M&M’s correctly.

- Students will accurately count M&M’s and write the number down.

Provisions for Special Needs: 

- Help the students count their M&M’s and explain what an estimation is individually with the student.

Materials:
- Bag of M&M’s

- Recording sheet

- Pencil for each student.

Procedures:

Vocabulary:

- Estimation

- Counting

- Addition

Springboard: 

T:  Ask the students if they know what estimation is.  Discuss that estimation is not counting.  Tell the students they will be working with food so they must go wash their hands. 

S:  Go wash their hands

Activities:

T:  Give each student a bag of M&M’s.

S:   Spread M&M’s on table and guess which color there is the most of.

T:  Tell students to circle the color they guessed on their paper.

S:  Estimate a number from one to ten for each color in their bag and write that number on the recording sheet by each number.

S:  Sort M&M’s by color and place them horizontally in the allotted space on the recording sheet.

 

S:  Count M&M’s one color at a time and place each total in the provided space on the recording sheet.

T:  Walk around and assist students and ask questions to help them with their estimations.

Closure:
Discuss how the students determined their estimates.  Write down any strategies students recognize.  Ask how they determined if their estimates were right, close, or wrong.  Discuss other things that they could sort and estimate in the classroom or playground.

Resources: 

http://www.lessonplanspage.com/MathEstimationClassification.htm

Reflection:

The students really enjoyed this lesson.  They stayed very active and interested in what they were doing.  By the end of this lesson, we reviewed what estimations were and all of the girls really seemed to understand the concept.  I had to do this lesson alone and the girls were great.  Since it was a hands-on activity they stayed very focused and were wonderful to work with.  If I did this lesson again, I might have the girls try to estimate the total number of M&M’s and colors from everyone’s bag.  I think this lesson went great and the girls learned a lot from it while having fun. 

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