Observed Lesson

One day I paid particular attention to a math lesson my CT was teaching to the class of first graders. They had previously been working on addition. This lesson focused on simple number sentences. The goal of the lesson was to have the students be able to create number sentences, using addition, with the numbers one through six. My CT would write two numbers on the board in a number sentence. For example, I remember her first example was “3+2= ?”. She would have the students practice orally reading the number sentence. She then asked for the solution to this number sentence and the students would then practice the sentence with the solution of five included. She utilized unifix cubes to represent the two numbers and represented the addition of the set of the three blocks and the set of two blocks to arrive at the sum of five. My CT was sure that students used proper mathematical terminology to explain the math equation. For instance, they were to say “three plus two equals five”. My CT would call on students to answer and read aloud various number sentences. Students would also be called up to the smart board to fill in the answer to the number sentence. The focus was solely on addition. After this, students completed a worksheet. On the worksheet there were various questions set up in the form “4+2=?”. The students were to fill in the answer to each question on their worksheets. Then, there were a few blank boxes for the students to create their own number sentences using addition and the numbers one through six. My CT and I walked around and assisted the students whenever necessary. We handed out some of the blocks to help visually represent the addition. This greatly helped some students. Overall it was a very basic yet fundamental lesson that was rather quick and very helpful for first graders.