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Activity 1

Standards Alignment

Building On

Addressing

Building Toward

Instructional Routines

None

Materials

To Gather

Activity Narrative

The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to Stage 3 of the Picture Books center. Students recognize and describe illustrations and shapes in picture books. Students are not expected to use a recording sheet for this stage in kindergarten. When choosing a picture book for this activity, opt for a book that includes illustrations of common, recognizable shapes. If students have not heard the story this year, read the book aloud to students as a part of the Launch. After hearing the story at least once and making sense of the context, students experience the story again with a focus on describing illustrations and recognizing shapes. If needed, point to a shape in the book and ask, “How would you describe this?” to encourage them to mathematize the situation. Some examples of picture books include:

Grandma’s Purse by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
Pablo’s Tree by Pat Mora
Saturday by Oge Mora
There is a Bird on Your Head by Mo Willems
Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate
Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
Count on Me by Miguel Tanco
The Girl with the Parrot on Her Head by Daisy Hirst

Action and Expression: Develop Expression and Communication. Synthesis: Students might benefit from alternative options to express their answer to the question “What do you know about these shapes?” Invite students to draw what they know before they verbally share, or to use gestures to show what they know about the shapes.
Supports accessibility for: Language, Conceptual Processing

Launch

Groups of 2
If students have not already heard the story used in the activity, read the story and discuss the context.
“We are going to read this story again. This time, let’s look very closely at the pictures and see what we notice.”
Read the story, stopping at a picture with shapes students can describe.
“What do you notice in this picture?”
If needed, point to a specific part of the picture and ask, “How can you describe this?”
30 seconds: quiet think time
1 minute: partner discussion
Share responses.

Activity

Continue reading the story, stopping to ask students to describe different pictures.
10 minutes: whole-class discussion
Monitor for responses that would be helpful to include on the chart made during the Activity Synthesis.

None

Student Response

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Advancing Student Thinking

Activity Synthesis

“What do you know about shapes?”
Create a chart, using student language.
“What questions do you have about shapes?”
Add questions to the chart.

Activity 2

Standards Alignment

Building On

Addressing

Building Toward

Instructional Routines

None

Materials

None

Activity Narrative

The purpose of this activity is for students to recognize and describe shapes in a picture. Students discuss the shapes they notice, using informal language. This discussion provides students the chance to learn more from their partner about how shapes can be described.

MLR8 Discussion Supports. Synthesis: Some students may benefit from the opportunity to rehearse what they will say with a partner before they share with the class.
Advances: Speaking

Launch

Groups of 2
“What games do you play with your family?”
30 seconds: quiet think time
30 seconds: partner discussion
Share responses.
“Backgammon is a popular game in many different countries, such as Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria. A lot of people play backgammon in our country, too. Have you ever played this game or a game like this?”
“Tell your partner about a shape you see in the backgammon game. Take turns describing the shapes you see in the picture with your partner.”
30 seconds: quiet think time

Activity

5 minutes: partner work time
Monitor for students who describe shapes.

<p>Backgammon gameboard</p>

Student Response

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Advancing Student Thinking

Activity Synthesis

Invite previously identified students to share how they described the shapes.
“How can you describe the red and black game pieces?” (They are round. They look like buttons. They are circles. They are small.)