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Tracey Driedger

2b: Counting On
Grade/Subject: Grade 4 Math Unit: Whole Numbers Topic: Mental Math to Add Lesson Duration: 80 min.
SPECIFIC
OUTCOMES
FROM
ALBERTA
PROGRAM OF
STUDIES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

ASSESSMENTS
Students will:

N3
N3

Formative & Summative

Describe different strategies for adding numbers

mentally
Solve problems that involve addition of 3 digit numbers

Key Questions &

Performances
Observations &
Products/Performances

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Math Makes Sense 4 Pearson
Student Book pages 20- 21

MATERIALS/ EQUIPMENT/ SET UP

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*
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Student Book Practice page 21 for each student (10)

Prep Student Book Practice page 20 to post on projector
Partner cards (4-5 pairs)
Prep Mental Math Jeopardy SMARTboard game to play

PROCEDURE
Introduction (10 min.): 9:10-9:20
Attention Grabber: Last week we used mental math to add students going on a field trip and to figure out how
many puzzle pieces were in my two puzzles. What other things could we use mental math to solve?
Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Make a 2-digit problem from the class ideas. Ask: What was the first strategy we
learned last week? How do you make a friendly number? When is it a good time to use the strategy make a
friendly number? (when one of the numbers is close to a friendly number) Does anyone remember what the
strategy we learned on Friday was called? Lets try answering this problem using the last mental math strategy
we learned. What is the first step we need to take to use the counting on strategy? Solve the class problem.
When is it a good time to use the counting on strategy? (when I dont have too many numbers to count on).
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: We are going to be learning as a large group as well as doing practice
questions in partners and individually today. You did really well putting your hands up to answer questions
yesterday and that really helps us all learn together, so lets do that again today. What needs to happen when
we are in partners so that we dont distract each other?
Advance Organizer: Today we are going to practice counting on and then play a game that is going to put the two
strategies we have learned together.
Agenda:
1. Whole class example
2. Learning pairs
3. Practice
4. Game
Transition to Body: Lets take one of the questions from Friday and use the counting on strategy to solve it.
Body (27 min.): 9:20-9:

What is the teacher doing?

What are the students doing?

Learning Activity #1: Whole Class Example (10 min 9:20-9:30)

Have students pick a problem from Student Book Practice page 20.
Solve as a whole class.
Ask: What do I do first? (choose a number and split it into its separate
place values) How many hundreds do we have? How many tens do we
have? How many ones do we have?
Now I add starting on the left count on by hundreds count on by
tens count on by ones.

#1 Solving problem as a group using

counting on.

Assessment: Key Questions to Check for Understanding Ask: What is

the first step in counting on? What place value do I add on first? Then I

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Tracey Driedger

count on by what? (tens) And last I add the what? (ones)

Specific Learner Considerations: Give written/visual directions as well as oral.

Providing examples.
Transition to Activity #2: Before you practice counting on on your own,

please go get a white board marker and a pencil from your bin and
come back and sit down.
Learning Activity #2: Learning pairs (12 min 9:30-9:42)
Direct students to practice the question they make with the partner
made by matching their cards. Partners need to be made quickly and
quietly. Ensure equal participation.

#2 Writing a 3-digit number on their

whiteboards before finding their
partner to add the two numbers
together by counting on.

Assessments: Key Questions & Observation (Formative) Circulate and

ask: How did you find the sum? Looking for successful mental math
strategy use to add 3-digit numbers.
Specific Learner Considerations: Give written directions as well as clear, brief

oral instructions. Provide visual referents and examples. Observe pairs

with struggling students more closely.
Transition to Learning Activity #3: Now that we have practiced in pairs, we

are going to practice on our own. Please take your pencil and practice
sheet back to your desk to work.
Learning Activity #3: Practice (15 min 9:42-9:57)
Direct students to complete pg. 21 #1(a, c, d), 2 and 4 (distribute
sheets) using counting on strategy. Ask questions to confirm
understanding.
Assessments: Key Questions & Product (Formative) Circulate and

ask: How did you find the sum? Looking for successful mental math
strategy use to add 3-digit numbers.

#3 Complete practice questions

student sheet with name in top right
corner. Circle the number that you
are going to split up, then write how
many hundreds, tens and ones there
are before counting on from left to
right.

Specific Learner Considerations: Give written directions as well as clear, brief

oral instructions. Provide visual referents and examples. Observe

struggling students more closely. Allow students who finish quickly to try
using counting on to solve #1b, 3 and Stretch Your Thinking.
Transition to Learning Activity #4: Bring attention to front and summarize the

steps they were using.

Learning Activity #4: Mental Math Jeopardy (23 min 9:57-10:20)
Create 2 teams. Review the two strategies that they can use to solve
the problems. Go over jeopardy procedure (question is covered up once
it is solved). Run the game.
Assessments: Performance (Formative) Looking for complete

descriptions of mental math strategies used to add 3-digit numbers.

Specific Learner Considerations: Give written directions as well as clear, brief

oral instructions. Provide visual referents and examples.

Transition to Closure: With 10 minutes left of class, have all students return

to seats in front row. Summarize team scores and congratulate

everyone.
Sponge Activity: Math Card Game or Mathletics
Specific Learner Considerations: Follow up to make sure that they know how

to go forward.

#4 One student chooses and

attempts a question. If they get it
right, they get the points and the
other team goes. If not, no points are
rewarded and student from next team
goes. For the first two questions each
student answers, they need to
identify which strategy they are using
and show the class how they solve it
(must use each strategy at least
once).
Sponge Using a deck of cards that
has only Ace through 9, one partner
will deal 6 cards and arrange them
into a 3-digit addition problem. The
other partner solves the problem and
then they switch roles.
OR practice on Mathletics.

Closure (10 min.): 10:20-10:30

Consolidation/Assessment of Learning: (write key points on the board) We now know two strategies to use when we

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Tracey Driedger

are doing mental math. What is one of the strategies? (go through the steps for the strategy) What is the second
strategy? (go through the steps) When is the best time to use friendly numbers? (when one of the numbers is
close to a friendly number) When is the best time to use counting on? (when I dont have too many numbers to
count on)
Feedback From Students: Which strategy do you find easier? Why?
Feedback To Students: You have done lots of practice with friendly numbers and counting on, so when you come
to addition questions on Mathletics, just pick the one that works best and use it.
Transition To Next Lesson: Once your space is cleaned up you can go and get ready for recess.

LESSON REFLECTIONS

Lesson Description
What did they learn?

How did they behave?

What is the evidence?

If I deviated from the lesson plan, why did I do so?

Strengths
3-5 main strengths of my lesson plan and the lesson as taught and evidence/reasoning:

Improvements
1-3 key improvements to make to the lesson plan and my instruction, and evidence/reasoning that it
needs improvement:

Reflections
Connect my teaching performance in this lesson to my teaching philosophy/personal vision of
teaching.