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Sample Lesson Plans

Using Literature to Teach Elementary School Math and Science

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Education

ED312, Spring 1996; Professor Maria Varelas

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Lesson by Beth Sarich

Bears on Wheels, Stan and Jan Berenstain

Lesson for:



Kindergarteners



Why was this work chosen?



It was simple words over and over again, so the children can learn to read it themselves.



What math or science can be developed?



It is a counting book. The book shows different numbers of bears on different numbers of wheeled bikes.



Lesson plan:



Activities/Time	Procedures
Preview 5 minutes	I would tell the class about bears and let them tell me what they know about them.
Read aloud 10 minutes	I would read the story to the class. I would have all of us sit in a circle on the floor. I would hold the book up and make sure everyone can see all of the pictures. I would stop frequently and make sure everyone can see and hear and understand me clearly.
Class discussion 10 minutes	I would have the students tell me what they thought they learned from the book. I would review what they had already learned about counting and numbers.
Group work 15 minutes	I would have the children get into groups of 3's or 4's. I would explain to them that everyone is going to participate in a counting project. I would pass out miniature stuffed bears. Each groups of students would get ten bears. I would let the students play freely with the bears for a few minutes. Then I would have the class pay attention and call out numbers and see if the students could count out the correct number of bears. The students wouldn't be graded on this, I would just use it to see if the students were grasping the idea of counting.
Class discussion 10 minutes	After we were through with the counting activity, I would pass out the books to teach child. I would have them take it home and look at it, read it, or have someone else read it to them for homework. Iwould want to hear their ideas and question about what we just did. I would tell them the importance of counting and numbers to math.



I think I would know if this lesson was successful by watching how the students particpated in the counting bears project. I would continue teaching about numbers in my next math lesson. For students that seemed to be having problems with counting, I would spend extra time counting objects with them.

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