This Math lesson is ideal for Grade One students.

Objective:
Students will learn how to count backwards from 5 and to subtract one from any number from 1 to 5.

Activating:
This activating activity gets the students excited and thinking about numbers! Gather the students together on the carpet area. Sing the song, “Five Little Ducks” with the students. Sing through the song several times. Then have students dramatize it by choosing five students to be the little ducks and one student to be the mother duck. Grade One students usually like to crawl to act out the little ducks.

Song Words:
Five little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the pond and far away,
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack,”
And four little ducks came back swimming back.

(Repeat for four, three, and two and one.)
No little ducks went swimming one day,
Over the pond and far away,
Mother duck said, “Quack, quack, quack!” (This part is sung in a loud, grumpy voice.)
And five little ducks came swimming back!

Acquiring:
Ask the students what is happening in the song. Let several students have the chance to verbalize what the song is about. Have the students practice counting backwards from 5 in unison. Talk about “one less”. Review with the students that one less than 5 is 4. Ask them what one less than 4 is, etc. Let students provide answers. Write down, on the board, all the number sentences from the song: 5-1=4, 4-1=3, 3-1=2, 2-1=1, 1-1=0, 0+5=5.

Applying:
Explain the “Little Ducks Math” worksheet. Have students return to their desks to complete the sheet. Erase the number sentences from the board. Circulate while students are working to ensure that they understand and are doing the Math correctly. It is important that the students do not practice doing it incorrectly.

Evaluation:
Have students hand in the worksheets when finished. Correct these and hand them back to the students as soon as possible. Correcting quickly allows both you and the children to know how they are doing.

Little Ducks Math Worksheet