Rationale: Kindergartners will be able to practice writing the numbers 1 - 10 while using manipulatives to count out loud from 1 - 10 and 10 - 1 while relating countdowns to rocket ships and their take-off process. Counting backwards is a very important skill kindergartners must learn.
Standards:
Materials:
Motivation: “Kindergarteners, we have these beautiful rocket ships that we just created with tin foil and shapes. But before they blast off for take-off, we need to practice our countdown! Does anyone remember what a countdown is? Let’s practice counting backwards, starting from 10, with our stack of cubes. We are going to remove one cube after we say each number, okay? Ready, go! 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1! Blastoff!”
Steps:
1. Create the Tin Foil Rockets (Art Project) before hand.
2. Give students the Number Tracing worksheet to practice writing out their numbers.
3. Practice counting from 1 – 10 and 10 – 1 with stacked cubes. Give each student a stack of 10. Have them remove 1 cube each time we count backwards.
4. Practice counting backwards while pointing at the Countdown Number Chart.
5. Watch the Rocket Counting Video Clip – great review!
6. Once the students are fluent in counting backwards, hand back their tin foil rockets to each student. Start a countdown with their rockets in hand, ready for them to blast off!
Bibliographic Data: This project was inspired by Desiree Mieras’ Space Unit from Pinterest but all activities were self-created.
Mieras, Desiree. "Rockabye Butterfly: Space Unit." Rockabye Butterfly: Space Unit. N.p., 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.
Standards:
- K.1.1.2 - Read, write and represent whole numbers from 0 to at least 31. Representations may include numerals, pictures, real objects and picture graphs, spoken words, and manipulatives such as connecting cubes.
- K.1.1.3 - Count, with and without objects, forward and backward to at least 20.
Materials:
- Rocket Ship Number Tracing Worksheets
- Pencils
- Stacking Cubes
- Countdown Number Chart
- Countdown Rocket Video Clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htVUgH7MgWk
- Rocket ships from previous art projects (Tin Foil Rocket Ships)
Motivation: “Kindergarteners, we have these beautiful rocket ships that we just created with tin foil and shapes. But before they blast off for take-off, we need to practice our countdown! Does anyone remember what a countdown is? Let’s practice counting backwards, starting from 10, with our stack of cubes. We are going to remove one cube after we say each number, okay? Ready, go! 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1! Blastoff!”
Steps:
1. Create the Tin Foil Rockets (Art Project) before hand.
2. Give students the Number Tracing worksheet to practice writing out their numbers.
3. Practice counting from 1 – 10 and 10 – 1 with stacked cubes. Give each student a stack of 10. Have them remove 1 cube each time we count backwards.
4. Practice counting backwards while pointing at the Countdown Number Chart.
5. Watch the Rocket Counting Video Clip – great review!
6. Once the students are fluent in counting backwards, hand back their tin foil rockets to each student. Start a countdown with their rockets in hand, ready for them to blast off!
Bibliographic Data: This project was inspired by Desiree Mieras’ Space Unit from Pinterest but all activities were self-created.
Mieras, Desiree. "Rockabye Butterfly: Space Unit." Rockabye Butterfly: Space Unit. N.p., 27 Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2014.