Sample Lesson Plan

1. Overview
Title: Greater Than, Less Than & Top-It
Topic of Unit: Mathematics
Teacher: Ms. Weisser
Grade: 1st
2. Objectives/Justification/Standards
a) ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What are the numbers from 1-20?
What does more/less mean?
What does greater than mean?
What does equal mean?
How do we determine greater than or less than?
b) OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to (SWBAT):
SWBAT develop and maintain number sense.
SWBATidentifynumbersandrecognizequantities.
SWBATcollaboratewithothersandtaketurns.
SWBATunderstandandidentifynumbersusinggreaterthan/lessthan/equaltoconcepts.
c) Justification:
This lesson is developmentally appropriate because it introduces the required concepts
for math instruction. It provides visuals to assist with student understanding. It provides students
with the opportunity to practice social skills by working with others and taking turns. Students
gain practice following explicit directions.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.A.1- Count to 120, starting at any number less than

120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a
written numeral.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.B.2- Understand that the two digits of a two-digit
number represent amounts of tens and ones.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NTB.B.3- Compare two two-digit numbers based on
meanings of the tens and ones digits, recording the results of comparisons with the
symbols >, =, and <.

3. Assessment
a) Pre-Assessment:
I will begin with a whole group discussion. I will display pairs of numbers on the SMART board.
For example, I will write 7 and 3. I will ask the students to tell me which number is bigger
and which is smaller. Volunteers will come up to the SMART Board and circle the larger number.
I will follow this activity by asking students to explain how we know which number is larger and
which is smaller.

b) Checking for understanding:

Following the Pre-Assessment verbal activity, I must check for student understanding of this
concept prior to teaching the game, Top-It. Students will be asked to engage in this math
concept using their own bodies to solve greater than and less than number problems. Students
will practice in this manner using a variety of number combinations. I will be able to determine
understanding through observation. I will also check for understanding by asking students to
hold a thumbs-up if they completely understand and are ready to move on, a middle-thumb
if they are not confident and may need more practice, and a thumbs-down if they have no
understanding of the concept.
c) Post-Assessment
After introduction of the game, Top-It, students will engage in play with their partners. I will
assess understanding through observation and note taking. By circulating the classroom and
observing play, I can check for understanding and determine which students may need more
instruction with this concept.
4. Learning Experience
a)Brief description of sequence of learning experiences
For the first part of the learning experience I will introduce the concept of less than,
greater than, and equal to by displaying pairs of numbers on the SMART Board. I will ask
students to tell me which number is bigger and which is smaller, and if possible in some
situations, if they are the same. I will explain to students that greater is another way of saying
bigger or more than. I will then ask students to explain how they know the correct answers
to these questions. I will ask students to come up to the front of the room and demonstrate,
splitting them up into two groups. They will then have a visual of the greater than and less than
concept. Students will continue practicing the concept in this manner. Then, I will check for
understanding up a thumbs-up strategy. Following the whole group activity, students will be
paired up with a partner. I will introduce the game Top-It. I will explain that students receive a
deck of cards with numbers on them. I will model appropriate and expected behavior while
explaining the game rules. I will instruct pairs to begin game play. Each student will flip over
their card to display it to themselves and their partner. The pair must then determine which
student has the greater card. That student will collect both cards and the game will continue until
one partner has all of the cards.
Materials:
SMART Board
Top-It Cards