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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Dinosaur math

The children will be involved in several different activities (graphing, sorting and classifying, patterning) rotating to each station during the lesson.

A lesson plan for grade K Mathematics

By RobinC Adams

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • recognize and continue a given pattern.
  • be able to create their own pattern.
  • sort and classify their dinosaurs by chosen attributes.
  • graph their dinosaurs and describe the properties by which they graphed.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45 minutes

Materials/resources

  • dinosaur counters
  • Muellers dinosaur pasta which has been dyed different colors
  • Brachs Supersaur Dinosaurs (dinosaur snacks)
  • blank graphing sheet
  • glue
  • crayons

Pre-activities

Before doing this activity, the students will need an understanding of graphing, sorting & classifying, and patterning. These are all math units that have been previously taught at an earlier point in the school year. This lesson is a way of integrating a math review in to our dinosaur unit.

Activities

Divide the students into 3 groups. Each group will rotate through the 3 math stations at 15 minute intervals.

Station 1: Dinosaur Patterning

Each child will receive a small ziploc bag with colored dinosaur pasta and a sentence strip. The child will make his own pattern. After having it checked by the teacher, he/she will glue it on to the sentence strip and label the pattern. (Ex. ABAB, ABCABC, AABBCAABBC, ABBCDABBCD, etc.)

Station 2: Dinosaur Graphing

Each child will receive a Brach’s dinosaur snack and a graphing sheet. The child is to graph his/her dinosaurs by their type, (i.e. stegasaurus, apatosaurus, T-Rex, etc.) The student then colors in the appropriate squares on the graph to represent how many of each type of dinosaur he/she had. After being check by teacher observation, the child is allowed to eat the dinosaur snacks.

Station 3: Dinosaur Sorting

Each child is given a bag of dinosaur counters to sort. Children will be asked to sort their counters by meat eaters and plant eaters. Following this, they are asked to think of another way to sort their dinosaurs and to explain the attributes by which they sorted. Sorting can be done by size, shape, color, dinosaurs that walked on two legs vs. four legs, etc.)

Assessment

Teacher observation of each child’s successful completion of each station will determine the students’ success and understanding.

Supplemental information

Come With Me science series “Dinosuars”
S/S PUBLISHING Co.
3550 Durock Road
Shingle Springs, CA 95682

North Carolina curriculum alignment

Mathematics (2004)

Kindergarten

  • Goal 3: Geometry - The learner will explore the concepts of geometry.
    • Objective 3.04: Complete simple spatial visualization tasks and puzzles.
  • Goal 4: Data Analysis and Probability - The learner will collect, organize and display data.
  • Goal 5: Algebra - The learner will model simple patterns and sort objects.

  • Common Core State Standards

    • Mathematics (2010)

      • Kindergarten

        • Counting & Cardinality
          • K.CC.6Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.1
        • Measurement & Data
          • K.MD.1Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
          • K.MD.3Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.1