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This is a fun way to learn math using the song, “Who Stole the Cookies”
K, 1, 2, 3
Title – Who Took The Cookies?
By – Melanie Wilkerson
Primary Subject – Math
Secondary Subjects – Music
Grade Level – K-3
Music Concept: Music can have repeated melody, rhythm and text patterns.
Subject Concept: Students can count objects that they have in hand.
Music Objective: The student will be able to recognize repeated patterns in melody, rhythm and text.
Math Objective: (The student will be able to rote count 0-10 forward and backward.
Music: “Who Took the Cookies From The Cookie Jar?” Music taken from the front of the book:
- Lass, Bonnie and Philemon Sturges. (2001). Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar?. New York:
- Something to represent a cookie jar. (It should be big enough to be able to hold pretend cookies and to reach into by the kindergarteners safely.)
- Something to represent cookies. I suggest having 60 or 70 so that each student has plenty to count. I would probably cut out circles on construction paper and laminate so that they could be used again.
The teacher will prepare a pretend cookie jar with cookies in it ahead of time and place in view of the students to build interest. The teacher will gather students together and ask for students to raise their hands to answer the question she is about to ask. The teacher will ask “What is your favorite type of cookie?”. The teacher will take answers from 5-6 students before proceeding.
- The teacher will explain that we are going to play a game with pretend cookies. The teacher will reinforce that the cookies are not real and should not be eaten!
- The teacher will have the class to sit in a circle on the floor and place the cookie jar in the middle of the circle.
- The teacher will ask if anyone knows how to play the “Who Took The Cookie From The Cookie Jar?” game. If there is a student who knows how the words go and the game goes, the teacher will allow that student to explain it to the other students. If not, the teacher will explain that typically everyone will say “Who took the cookie from the cookie jar? ” Then someone will be accused of taking the cookie from the cookie jar and the rest of the group will say “(Student’s name) took the cookie from the cookie jar” Then the student accused will say “Who me?” and the group will say “Yes, you”. Then the student accused will say “Couldn’t be!” and the group will say “Then who” and the student accused will pick another student and say their name. Then it starts all over with “(Student’s name) took the cookie from the cookie jar” and continues.
- The teacher will ask the class if they know what a pattern is. The teacher will take 2-3 answers from students and then explain that a pattern is where something is put together in the same fashion over and over. In other words what you have repeats itself exactly. The teacher will draw a pattern of short and long lines on the board to demonstrate if needed.
- The teacher will explain what rhythm is. The teacher will say that rhythm is long and short patterns in music.
- The teacher will ask if anyone knows what a beat is by having the students who think they know what it is to tap their head with their hand 4 times.
- The teacher will say that a beat is a length of time in music. It is how often you hear the sound.
- The teacher will then ask what students think a pattern may be in music.
- The teacher will accept 4-5 answers from students. The teacher will further explain that a pattern in music is where the rhythm and beat repeats itself.
- The teacher will say “Do you see a pattern in the Cookie Jar song?” The teacher will discuss how the song repeats itself over and over in sound and words to the song. The teacher will say that the only thing that changes is the student who took the cookie’s name.
- The teacher will tell the students that a game is going to be played. The teacher will tell the students that we are going to practice the repeated rhythm in the song by singing it.
- The teacher will explain that when it is the student’s turn to be accused of taking the cookie that he or she should go and get a cookie from the jar and return to his/her seat.
- The teacher will explain that the student should pick the student that is sitting to the right of them to be the next student to take the cookie and be named in the song.
- The teacher will suggest that once every student has gotten a turn to go to the cookie jar and it is back where it begins that each student can pick any student they want to be the next one to take a cookie from the cookie jar.
- The teacher should monitor this activity and determine how long she/he wants it to go. You don’t want the students to get bored with the activity. You can either continue going until all the cookies are gone or until it appears it is time to move on based on the students’ interest level.
- After the teacher has said it is time to stop, the teacher will tell the students that we need to see how many cookies everyone took from the cookie jar.
- The teacher will have students count their cookies by touching each cookie and counting it.
- The teacher will have students return their cookies to the cookie jar so that the game can be played as a class later or in a center with a smaller group. The teacher will pass around the cookie jar so that each student can place his or her cookies back in the jar.
- The teacher will ask for someone to remind him/her about patterns and how they can relate to music.
- The teacher will take several answers and help students with explanations if needed.
- The teacher will further the discussion by asking if the students noticed that a pattern was created by the class the first time everyone took a cookie. The teacher will say that everyone selected the person to the right of him or her to be the next person to take the cookie.
- What do I want to know?
- I want to know if students can recognize a pattern in rhythm and beats. I want to know if students can rote count, or call numbers out in order.
- How will I know it?
- I will know it by observing students during the activity and by listening to the answers provided by the students when review questions are asked about patterns, rhythm and beat.
- This will also provide insight to the different levels of math I may have in my classroom and how I can adapt future lessons to make the lessons more appropriate for the individual student.
- An example assessment of this lesson could be to allow students to draw how many cookies they took from the cookie jar. Once the student has drawn the cookies (which may or may not be the actual number the student had!), have the students count the cookies verbally to you.
- Another example assessment may be to have students to come up with a short song that has a repeating pattern and beat to it to share with you or the rest of the class. If this assessment is decided upon, it is my recommendation that after reviewing the definitions on another day to do this assessment because I feel this assessment combined with the activity would be too much for a kindergarten class.
- The Cookie Jar activity is one that the kids will enjoy a lot! It would be a great recommendation to use this game throughout the school year to work with counting and then to addition and subtraction. Students can add their cookies with other students; students can give a cookie or two to another student and then determine how many they have. It may even be that the teacher wants the students to number sentences based on how many cookies the student has.
- Students could also do this activity in a center with a smaller group of students!
E-Mail Melanie Wilkerson !