Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - KG 1

Lesson Video

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Performance objectives

• Know the signs for adding (+) and taking away (-)
• Add and take away numbers up to 10
• Solve story problems with adding and taking away
• Use things like stones or sticks to help us count

Lesson summary

This lesson introduces our young learners to the foundational concept of addition. We will explore addition not as abstract numbers, but as the physical act of "joining," "combining," or "putting together" groups of real objects. This skill is vital for everyday life in Ghana, from counting money at the local provisions store to sharing snacks with friends or helping to count yams after a harvest. By using familiar objects like stones, bottle caps, and seeds, we will make the idea of "altogether" a fun and practical discovery.

Lesson notes

Core Idea: Addition is simply about putting things together and finding out the new total number. We will use three key words today: Group, Combine, and Altogether. What is a Group (or Set)? A group is just a collection of things that are together. *Example:* If you have some crayons in your hand, that is a group of crayons. If you see some goats standing under a mango tree, that is a group of goats. What does "Combine" mean? "Combine" is a big word that means to put together or to join. When we combine two groups, we push them together to make one new, bigger group. *Teacher Demonstration:* Place 3 bottle caps on one side of the table and 2 bottle caps on the other side. Say, "Here is a group of 3, and here is a group of 2. Now, watch me combine them." Physically push the two groups together into one pile. "See? They are now one big group." What does "Altogether" mean? "Altogether" is the magic word we use to ask for the final number after we combine the groups. It means "How many in total?" *Teacher Demonstration:* After combining the bottle caps, ask the class, "How many bottle caps do we have altogether?" Then, lead them in counting the new single group to find the answer.

Step-by-Step Process for Combining Sets:

Let's use a story to understand the steps. Story: *Ama has 4 small, smooth stones. Her brother, Kojo, gives her 3 more stones. How many stones does Ama have altogether?* Step 1: Make the first group. We get counters (stones, seeds, or bottle caps) to represent Ama's stones. We count out the first number: "One, two, three, four." We place these 4 stones in a pile. Step 2: Make the second group. We get more counters for the stones Kojo gave her. We count out the second number: "One, two, three." We place these 3 stones in a separate pile nearby. Step 3: Combine the groups. We physically push the first group of 4 stones and the second group of 3 stones together to make one big pile. We say, "We are combining the 4 stones and the 3 stones." Step 4: Count everything altogether. Now we carefully count every stone in the new big pile, touching each one as we count. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven." Step 5: Say the final answer. We finish by saying the full sentence: "Ama has 7 stones altogether."

Guided Practice (With Solutions)