Answer a question by selecting and using suitable equipment, and sorting information, shapes or objects;

display results using tables and pictures

(Objective repeated in Block C Units 1, 2 & 3)
Give a cube to each child sitting in a circle.
Label 2 hoops red / not red. Place on mat.
Ask the children to name their shape and its colour (yellow cube).
Ask each child to place his/her shape in the right hoop.

Q. What can you say about the cubes in the first hoop? Second hoop? (red, not red).

Repeat using different criteria e.g. blue/red, red/yellow. All children to place cube in correct hoop.

Q. What can you say about the cubes in the first hoop? (Blue) Second hoop? (Yellow). Where shall we put the other cubes? Why?

Repeat using different criteria/labels.

Teacher places yellow cubes in one circle and green in another. Rest outside on mat.

Q. Who can tell me how I have sorted the cubes?

Ask a child to sort using their own criteria. Rest of children describe how they have been sorted.

ACTIVITY
Children given resource sheet per table and sets of pictures and animals.
Take turns to sort the pictures into pets/not pets.
Describe how and why they have been sorted.
Give each child a logic block.
Ask the children to examine their shape and look at their partner’s shape.

Q. Is your shape the same as your partner’s in any way?

Q. How is it different?

Talk about circle, triangle, rectangle, square, thick, thin, colour, large, small.
e.g. teacher says ‘I have a small, thick rectangle.’

Q. Who else has a rectangle? Show me yours. Is yours thick or thin?

Q. What makes yours different to mine?

Children continue this work on tables with children taking it in turn to make the statement and ask the questions.
Show children logic blocks on the floor. Describe some shapes. Ask the children to describe some.
Ask the class:

Q. How many red shapes are there?

Q. How can we find out?

Sort into 2 groups with children’s help.

Further questions to investigate:

How many triangles?
How many large shapes?
How many thin shapes?

Collect together all the circles.

Examine the set.

Q. Can you find 2 the same? (If not, why not?)

Let us sort them into groups. (colour, size, thickness)

Choose one of the circles and start a chain (e.g. large, thick and red). Put next to it a shape with only one change. (e.g. small, thick, red or large,
thick, yellow)

As the children are able, they add to the chain.

Repeat using triangles, squares, etc

-1-
Read a story about eggs hatching or similar.
(e.g.: Good Morning Chick – Ainsburg, Mirra
Daisy and the Egg – Simmons, Jane
Emma’ Lamb – Lewis, Kim
Dora’s Eggs – Chapman, Jane
Dora’s Chicks – Chapman, Jane)

Discuss with the children that birds build nests, eggs hatch in Spring?

Q Which months are in Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter?

Lead a discussion.
Decide that Spring is March, April, May (Summer – June, July, August), (Autumn – September, October, November) (Winter – December,
January, February).

Q Which season were you born in?

Ask

Q Do all animals have babies in Spring?

Has anyone’s dog had puppies?
Were they born in spring?

Q Do you think more human babies are born in Spring than any other season?

Q How can we find out?

Label each corner of the room Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter.

Have 4 cards with names of seasons on and a blob of blutack / plasticene on.

Children sit in circle and take turns to add their cube on the right season they were born, making a tower. A 3-D block graph will be formed.

Q Which tower is the tallest?

Q In which season were more of us born?

Q Do you think it is true that more human babies are born in Spring?

Using a prepared jumbled box of classroom items (e.g. rulers, scissors. Rubbers, pencils).

Task to tidy the box and to find out how many of each item there are.

Demonstrate taking one item at a time and creating a list with ticks
e.g. scissors 11111
rubbers 1111111111111
rulers 1111111
pencils 11111111

Q What do we have most of?

How do you know?
Is it easy to count each line?
How can we make it easier?

Guide children towards “tallying’.

With a new box with drawing pins, paper clips, rubbers, pencil sharpeners, demonstrate ticks.

Tasks
Children to sort boxes (drawers) of mixed materials in pairs / small groups
e.g crayons, scissors, rulers, pencils, rubbers, pencil sharpeners, cutlery drawer.
Junk jewellery
(Shoe boxes ideal to store items)

-2-
Sing the Teddy Bears Picnic.

Discuss having a picnic for each child’s ‘guest teddy’ or favourite ‘stuffed toy’.

Q What will we need?

(cups, spoons, plates as well as food).

Discuss sandwich fillings, crisp flavours, drinks.

Keeping a tally children choose one type of sandwich for their guest.

Collect a cube appropriate to flavour e.g. yellow / cheese, brown / tuna, red / jam.

Using cubes link same colours and assemble into 3D block graph with labels for each column. Discuss which is the favourite sandwich filling /
least favourite.

REPEAT giving a choice of flavours for crisps and/or drinks.

Ask children to sort the crockery box to see if there are enough cups, plates, spoons for the teddy bears on their table.

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