Lesson: Monster Squeeze

Subject: Math centers

Grade: 1st
Teacher: Ms. Kronemeyer

Description:
To play monster squeeze one student will think of a number and their partner will guess
the number they are thinking of. Once they guess a number the person thinking of the number
will tell the guesser if the number they are thinking of is smaller or bigger then the number they
guessed. Depending on what the students guess was will depend on what monster is moved.
For example, if a student guesses the number 7, but the other student says it is bigger than 7
they will move the monster at the smaller end to the number 7. This makes it easier for the
guesser because there are less numbers to guess from.
Behavior:
 Students will be working with a partner, so they will need to work together and take
turns using the number line and monsters. Working with another person can be hard so
it is important to keep an eye on all groups to make sure they are playing the game fairly
and sharing the tools.
Objective:
 Find the mystery number
Materials:
 2 monster brackets
 One number line
Players:
 Each student will get a partner to play the game with
Goal:
 The goal is for the students to understand more about comparing numbers. Students
need to know what less than, more than, and equal to mean and how finding the
mystery number can be easier if you understand that guessed number is less or more
than the number you are thinking of.
Observe:
 During the activity I will watch for students that might not understand what their
partner means by the number being bigger or smaller. This will show me that the
specific student may need more support.