Jelly Beans Count!!!

Children will fill plastic Easter eggs with the correct number of jelly beans. After they complete the entire dozen, they are allowed to keep the ones they get correct.

A lesson plan for grade K English Language Arts and Mathematics

By Ronnia Frazier

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• Learn more about English language arts and mathematics.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn about Easter customs and eggs while working in three rotating learning stations.
• match the correct number of jelly beans to numerals written on plastic eggs. OR (match the correct color of egg to the corresponding color in an egg carton.)
• independently “read” related books.
• cut and decorate a pre-drawn egg shape. (You may want to save these for a bulletin board.)

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

75 minutes

Materials/resources

• egg carton with color circles in the bottom of each section
• 12 plastic eggs that match the colors in your carton
• permanent marker
• jelly beans
• books about the Easter holiday
• rabbits, eggs, etc… and pre-drawn egg shapes with decorating materials (crayons, markers, glitter, scraps of colorful or foil paper and glue)

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

• Set up math station- glue colors in egg cartons, write numerals on plastic eggs, have one baggie of “beans” labeled with each child’s name.
• Reading station set up is simple…put out several of your children’s favorite Easter books.
• Fine motor station should contain the pre-drawn eggs and decorating materials.

Activities

Use a story book from your collection or from your media center to read to your whole group. I always enjoy Seven Eggs by Meredith Hooper to introduce the concept that “eggs contain some matter inside”. Another fun book is Clifford’s Easter by Norman Bridwell. After a discussion of these books, we divide into 3 small groups. Using a timer, we rotate learning stations every 15 minutes. Station 1 (counting jelly beans) and station 3 (cutting and decorating) are led by a teacher or assistant. Station 2 (reading) is monitored but considered to be independent.

Station 1--the children will fill the plastic eggs with the correct number of jelly beans (numerals on the eggs should correlate to numerals being taught). If a child is not ready to use one-to-one correspondence, you may alter the task to matching colors.

Station 2--the children will independently browse books.

Station 3--the children will cut and decorate a predrawn egg shape.

Assessment

Station 1-after all dozen eggs are filled, the teacher will count with the student to assess if the egg contains the correct number of jelly beans. If so, YEAH!!! Eat ‘em up. If not, take the opportunity to count and identify that set, then correct the set to match the numeral on the egg.

Station 2-requires no assessment other than to monitor behavior and attention to the task of browsing books.

Station 3-assessment should focus on the child’s fine motor abilities in the area of cutting and manipulating the decorating materials.

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

N/A

Comments

I teach young exceptional children. We often do not recognize our “numbers” to 12. This lesson works well with whatever numbers one chooses to use. It can also be simplified. I use variations of the lesson to match colors, letters, shapes, etc…My O.T. loves the fine motor aspect of snapping the eggs together. The children think they are playing instead of working. I love the fact that they are enjoying learning!!!