Lesson plan: How many letters are in my name

Topic: How many letters are in my name

ACARA Outcomes/Concept Descriptor:

Specific Learning Outcomes:

Preparation/Organisation:
- Group introduction and activity on the mat
- Individual work at the table

Resources:
- Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes [Link]
- Whiteboard and marker
- Subitising flashcards (Appendix A)
- Blank blocks sheets (Appendix B, cut into three pieces, one stripe for each)
- Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
- Scissors
- Maths books

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 Structure/Timing Process Differentiation/Extension/Support Resources
- Students to sit on the mat - Chrysanthemum by
Kevin Henkes
- Read the book Chrysanthemum - Some may comment that we
o Ask questions about the story to only have 10 fingers:
promote comprehension o could use our own ten
plus three more fingers
Introduction o Have a one-minute talk with your
with a friend,
10 Minutes neighbours anything special about
o or use our own ten
your name
fingers and then start
- Write the name ‘Chrysanthemum’ on the again on our own
whiteboard and have students count the fingers, etc.
number of letters were in the name on their
fingures
- Introduce the activity - Setup: stick
o "I would really like it if we had a clear subitising cards on
and organized way to compare all of the whiteboard
this information.”
- Scissors and crayon
o Show the sheets with blocks, Write my
own name as a demonstration - Number cards
▪ Write only one letter in each (Appendix a)
Learning block (First letter to be - Worksheets
Experience/Activity uppercase) (Appendix B)
10 minutes ▪ Decorate it (colour or drawing - Blu tack
shapes)
▪ Do not draw outside the block,
coz we are going to cut the
outside bite and only keep the
blocks with letters
▪ Use the black colour to write
the name to make sure it is

2
Structure/Timing Process Differentiation/Extension/Support Resources
clear enough so that everyone - Line up in alphabetic order if
can see it there are more than one
▪ Count how many letters people in the group
o Once finish, find the cards on the - Have the whole class line up in
whiteboard that matches the number the order
and line up in front of the number
cards, stick your name in a line on top
of the number card
- Call the name and get the sheet to work at the
table
- Commend students on their efforts - If the names are sticked - Whiteboard markers
- Bring them back to the mat hazardously, express confusion
and ask how we can make it
- Organize the names of each group in a line
clear to see how many people
- Notice the difference and similarities of the are in a group
length of the names in a group and the height
- Other questions to be asked if
of each group
they are capable of
Conclusion - Have students workout which group have the understanding the chart:
10 minutes most people and which have the least
o Which numbers have
o How many student names have the same amount of
3/4/5/6/7/8 letters? student names?
o Which numbers have the least and o How many more
most student names? student names are in
o Which number(s) has no student the 5-letters row
names? compared to the 8-
letters row?

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 Structure/Timing Process Differentiation/Extension/Support Resources
o The 6-letters row has
how many more than
the 2-letters row?
- Invite students to come to
count on the whiteboard if they
have difficulties in counting
- Encourage students to practice
the same activity at home with
their family members (include
family names if possible)
- observe their reasoning and their - Whiteboard marker
mathematical thinking in conversation and to write the
challenge their understanding of the relevant sentence ‘I have X
mathematical vocabulary. letters in my name.’
- Take picture of the bar chart on the white - Maths book
Assessment board - Stickers and pen to
- Call the group and give back the names and mark
stick into the maths book and copy the
sentence ‘I have x letters in my name.’ on the
same page.
- Check and mark the work.

Evaluation of lesson

4
Appendix A

5
Appendix B