Personal Book Background

Yes, you read “feast” and automatically think about Thanksgiving, but this book is so much more. According to the definition, a feast can be in celebration of special events and moments in life. Really a joyful time a family to come together over good food. I found this book for my “Counting” book collection. No one can resist a counting book. 🙂 I love that is shows an African American family coming together to dinner around the dining table… more than just fast food, in their laps, in front of the t.v.:-)

I prefer to read short stories like this one several times. A first read could be days prior to the kiddos doing any of the assignments, ya know just for fun! A second reading could be introduced by using the Vocabulary Cards.

Story Summary

Mom and kiddos go on a grocery shopping trip in preparations for a family feast. In this counting book, there are two sets of 10 items: “ Shopping Trip” items and events and “At Home” items and events.
The text doesn’t tell you everything that is happening in the story, which is great, because then you can be the co-author and add dialog as you read the book.
In addition, Ms. Falwell didn’t draw in every little detail of her surroundings in the illustrations, but just enough so you know what is happening in the story. Your kiddos may want to use this technique in their future illustrations.

The Product

All activities offer a choice of color or gray scale clip art! I know color ink is precious. 🙂

Penguin Teacher

Anchor Charts for Building Connections

Use the following questions to build background knowledge, a few anchor chart headings are provided for you. You can chart their responses.
What is a feast?          Who would you invite to your feast?
What food would you serve?
Is a feast only for Thanksgiving?

Data Collecting and Representation

After the story has been read several times, I usually do one or more of the following:
•Use the Data Collecting sheets as Anchor Charts via chart paper, post-it paper, overhead projection for the kiddos to refer to while completing activities.

•Kiddo Recording Forms shrink original to be glued into their Math journals. The kiddos can complete the form as you read the book or copy info from class Anchor Charts. The journals serve as a reference tool to complete the activities at Math Stations.

• I give myself grace to have simple anchor charts and not “Insta-worthy” every time. If you’re blessed with a poster maker, enlarge one on my designs. As the story is read you can “share the pen” to complete the recording forms.

7 Recording Form Options to fit your kiddos’ skills:
1. Given numerals, fill in items with pictures or words.
2. Given numerals, trace item words
3. Given number words, fill in items with pictures or words.
4. Given number words, trace item words.
5. Given items, trace the numerals.
6. Given items, trace the number words.
7. Given items, fill in either numerals or number words

TEKS for my Texas Buds

50 “At Home” Vocabulary Cards

Since the story is divided into two sections of items, I focused on the “At Home” vocabulary. You can either copy the cards as they are or shrink 40% if your word wall is a small area. When I didn’t have wall space, I would glue the words on chart paper, bulletin board paper, or even construction paper. The main thing is to discuss them and have them in view of the kiddos.

But what about the other 10 items?

Shopping Trip Vocabulary Card
1.  Your kiddos can always draw the items on their own.
2. You can make yourself crazy looking for free/nearly free clip art to use (like I initially did, live and learn)
OR   Find them for FREE at Making Learning Fun! You have choices of number with picture or word with picture, sixes, and color or gray scale. So no reinventing the wheel…Thanks “Making Learning Fun”!!
http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/FeastFor10-Printables.htm

How Many? Part 1

The following choices have the items out of numerical order. The items are in two categories: “Shopping Trip” and “At Home”.
Tasks:
1. Count the quantity given and write numeral to match.
2. Trace given numeral, see the picture clue and draw quantity to match.
3. Trace given numeral, see the word clue, and draw quantity to match.
Stress with your kiddos to draw detailed, neat illustrations. If you don’t demand it, you’ll get junk. J (Been there, got the t-shirts!)

How Many? Part 2

The following choices have the items in numerical order. The items are in two categories: “Shopping Trip” and “At Home”.
Task:
Trace given numeral, see the word clue, and draw quantity to match.
Two choices of drawing space are given. The first choice is to be copied front/back (5 on each side for larger boxes). The second choice all ten items are on one sheet.

Bar Graphs: Recording Data

Task 1: Recording Data
Using the classroom Anchor Charts or Kiddo Data Recording forms, add data to the graph.
Options:
•Item word and picture given, create horizontal bars
•Item word only given, create horizontal bars
•Item word only given, create vertical bars

Bar Graphs: Drawing Conclusions

The items are in two categories with 10 items:   “Shopping Trip” and “At Home”.
Task 2:  Draw Conclusions
Tell about your graph! Completing statements and composing sentences to make conclusions.
5 Options to analyze the information from their graphs.  A chance to use the following vocabulary and symbol: “greatest”, “least”, “greater than”, “less than”, “amount”, <, =, or >.

In and Out: Subitizing

You can never have too much practice putting quantities together. Making Combinations for 3-20. Determine what number combination your kiddo needs to work on (what combos they do not  know by heart).
Task:
1. Get quantity of cubes (any small manipulatives that will fit in their hands) and an “In and Out” mat.
2. Shake the cubes.
3. Record which cubes land “in” the cart/pot and which cubes land “out” of the cart/pot.
4. Record corresponding number sentence in words or symbols.
Remind your kiddos, this isn’t Vegas and their tosses do not need to be wild. 🙂

Whole – Part – Part: Subitizing

Making Combinations for 4-20. Three recording versions to practice various combinations. There is also a blank one for those kiddos that are ready to explore.
Task:
Determine what is missing, sum or addend, then complete chart. Have counters handy just in case. 🙂

A feast is a time to celebrate a milestone or just enjoy being in each other’s company. Don’t let this “simple” counting book pass you by with “just for Thanksgiving” thinking. I love the extensions for this book and I hope you and your kiddos will also.
Until next time, happy counting!