The purpose of this How Many Do You See? is for students to recognize and name small groups of dots and describe how they see them. In the Activity Synthesis, students discuss what they notice about different images of 2 dots. Students will continue considering different arrangements of the same number in the next activity. The number “2” is displayed at the end of the activity to give students opportunities to recognize numbers and connect numbers and quantities.

• “What did you notice about the groups of dots?” (They both have 2 dots. They look different. They are the same but one is turned sideways.)
• Display or write “2.”
• “There are 2 dots.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to learn Stage 2 of the Picture Books center. Students identify and record small groups of objects in their classroom with the same quantity to create their own picture book representing different numbers (1–4).

In this activity, students identify and record groups of 2 objects. They see the groups of 2 objects recorded by other students, students are invited to notice that many different groups of objects can have the same number. Students create one page of a picture book, which is printed in their student book. They have the opportunity to complete more pages in a picture book during centers. A blackline master of the picture book template is included. Each page of the picture book includes a written number in addition to dots so that students can begin to connect numbers and quantities.

• Invite students to share the groups of 2 that they drew.
• Record responses.
• “What is the same about all of these groups of things?” (We found them all in the classroom. They all have 2.)
• “You will be able to make more pages for your picture book in centers.”

The purpose of this activity is for students to choose from activities that focus on using math tools and recognizing quantities without counting. 

Students choose from any of the previously introduced stages of these centers:

• Connecting Cubes
• Pattern Blocks
• Geoblocks
• Picture Books

• Invite previously selected students to share their picture book page. The Lesson Synthesis will focus on these pages.