Pumpkin Color by Number
Lesson 1 of 3
Objective: Students will be able to recognize and color by code the numerals 1-4
This is an activity that I use as one of my math stations, so there is not a formal introduction to this lesson. The stations are very briefly discussed at the beginning of the week. This takes approximately 10 minutes. I am fortunate to have a para-pro and parent helper each day of the week during my station time, so they are able to assist students, keep them on task, and work with them at stations. With 3 adults in the room, instructions are able to be brief, as anyone who is having difficulty will be noticed. My station activities always target skills that we have previously learned.
During station time, my students are broke into 2 groups (12 students in each group- totaling 24). On Mondays & Wednesdays, group 1 is working on stations, while group 2 is using technology. Technology includes iPads, lap tops, and the smart board. On Tuesdays & Thursdays, group 2 is working on stations, while group 1 is using technology. Fridays are free choice. All students use technology and re-visit any of their favorite stations from the week. I have included a picture of my schedule that is displayed in my classroom.
Pumpkin Color by Number
I chose to do this activity as one of my math stations. I wanted to share an interactive book with the students, so a small group setting was ideal. I had a parent volunteer at this station who read, The Hairy Scary Spider. As the parent read, each student was given an opportunity to pull on the spider. The children were really excited to do this!
Once the story was over, it is time to color a jack-o-lantern by number. I had the parent instruct students to get 1 blue, black, orange, and green crayon from the bucket on the table. I had the parent instruct the children to highlight the color code at the bottom of today's task: 1-blue, 2-black, 3-orange, 4-green. This gives students a visual if they forget what color a certain numeral should be. Having a parent at this station also helps to catch any students who might be using the wrong color.
There are many free online resources for an activity such as this. I easily found the webpage Halloween Coloring Online by doing a search.
I like this activity because once a student has solid numeral recognition, they can develop an understanding of the amount each numeral represents. Student are modeling with mathematics, and applying their knowledge of numerals. This helps me understand who might need extra help before we can move on to larger quantities.