The purpose of this activity is for students to count their collection in a way that makes sense to them. Students are invited to represent how many objects are in their collection. Some students may choose to create a drawing, make a group with the same number of objects, or just demonstrate how they counted. Students will focus more on creating written representations of how many in a later unit.

Students are provided with counting mats and 5-frames to help them accurately count or organize their collections. Students use appropriate tools strategically as they choose tools to help them count their collections (MP5).

Action and Expression: Internalize Executive Functions. Invite students to plan to show how they counted their collections, including what drawings, numbers, words, or objects they will use.
Supports accessibility for: Conceptual Processing, Organization

• Invite previously identified students to share.
• “What is the same about how they each counted their collections?” (They all counted each object one time.)
• “What is different about how they each showed how they counted?” (Some people drew a picture. Some used objects.)
• After each student shares, write or display the number they counted and say, “There are _____ objects in their collection.”

The purpose of this optional activity is for students to develop their understanding that the last number counted tells how many there are. This activity will help students who are not yet answering “how many?” questions or who recount the collection of objects when asked “how many?” This activity also serves as further formative assessment on students’ counting concepts, including one-to-one correspondence and keeping track of objects that have been counted. Students have access to a counting mat and egg cartons that were used in previous optional activities to help them pair each object with one number name and keep track of which objects they’ve counted.

This activity can be used with a small group or the whole class. Students who do not need extra practice may benefit from additional time working in centers.

• Display a collection of 6–10 objects.
• “Let’s count to figure out how many objects are in this collection.”
• Move each object as the group counts.
• Hide the collection of objects.
• “How many objects are in the collection?”
• If needed, say, “When we counted, the last number we said was _____. That tells us that there are _____ objects in our collection.”

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

• “We have been working with pattern blocks, connecting cubes, geoblocks, and picture books throughout the unit. Which center is your favorite? Why?”