Math lesson plan · Kindergarten (Reception and Year 1 in England) · 45 minutes
Sort things: which one does not belong?
Statistics and probability
CCSS K.MD.B.3England: Reception Number
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Sort things: which one does not belong?.
- 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: no earlier skill in the map; start from what students know.
Leads to: Sort, count and compare groups
Materials: Squared paper for charts, Class survey data, Sticky notes for a live chart, Mini whiteboards and pens, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval: three short questions students should already manage. Answers on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Which one does not belong? shirt, boat, coat, scarf (shirt / boat / coat / scarf) → boatPrompt: What do most of them have in common?
- Sort these into fruit and vehicles: bus, banana, bike, bike, car, cherry, cherry. How many are fruit? → 3Prompt: Go through the list one at a time.
- Which one does not belong? boat, bus, dog, car (boat / bus / dog / car) → dogPrompt: What do most of them have in common?
Hook · 5 min
- Take a quick class survey (favorite fruit, travel to school) and ask what the results tell us.
- Share the objective: Sort things: which one does not belong?. 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 one does not belong? car, apple, boat, train
- Step 1: The others are vehicles; apple is not.
- Step 2: apple
- Answer: apple
- 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 one does not belong? duck, sheep, scarf, cat (duck / sheep / scarf / cat) → scarfPrompt: What do most of them have in common?
- Sort these into vehicles and clothes: train, bike, car, boat, sock, boat, scarf, hat, hat. How many are vehicles? → 5Prompt: Go through the list 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.
- Sort these into vehicles and fruit: bus, pear, pear, cherry, car, car, plum. How many are vehicles? → 3Prompt: Go through the list one at a time.
- Which one does not belong? horse, cat, boat, duck (horse / cat / boat / duck) → boatPrompt: What do most of them have in common?
Watch out for
- Forgetting to put data in order before finding the median.
- Reading a bar's height wrongly when the scale goes up in 2s or 5s.
Support and stretch
Support
- Use concrete materials: squared paper for charts.
- 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: Sort, count and compare groups.
- 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/kindergarten.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder