Math lesson plan · 1st grade (Year 2 in England) · 45 minutes
Days of the week
Measurement
CCSS 1.MD.B.3England: Y1 Measurement
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Days of the week.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Positions in a line: first to tenth
Leads to: Months of the year; Use a calendar: dates, days and weeks
Materials: Rulers, scales and measuring jugs, Clock faces, Conversion chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Positions in a line: first to tenth). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Animals line up. From the front: frog, lion, rabbit, horse, monkey, dog, bear. Which animal is first? (bear / lion / monkey / frog) → frogPrompt: The first animal is at the front of the line.
- From the front of the line: tiger, bear, rabbit, lion, monkey, horse, cat. Where is the cat? (sixth / eighth / seventh / ninth) → seventhPrompt: Find the cat in the list.
- Liam is second in the lunch queue. How many children are in front of Liam? → 1Prompt: Being second means there are some children before Liam.
Hook · 5 min
- Ask the class to estimate the length of the room or the weight of a bag before measuring it.
- Share the objective: Days of the week. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: Which day comes after Saturday?
- Step 1: Sunday
- Answer: Sunday
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- Which day comes after Thursday? (Wednesday / Tuesday / Friday / Saturday) → FridayPrompt: Say the days in order: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
- Today is Wednesday. What day will it be in 3 days? (Saturday / Friday / Sunday / Thursday) → SaturdayPrompt: Count on 3 days, one at a time.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- How many days are there in 2 weeks? → 14Prompt: Count the days from Monday to Sunday.
- Today is Tuesday. What day will it be in 4 days? (Wednesday / Sunday / Saturday / Friday) → SaturdayPrompt: Count on 4 days, one at a time.
Watch out for
- Measuring from the end of the ruler instead of zero.
- Converting units the wrong way (multiplying instead of dividing).
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Positions in a line: first to tenth.
- Use concrete materials: rulers, scales and measuring jugs.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Move on to: Months of the year; Use a calendar: dates, days and weeks.
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/math/grade-1.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder