Frog Day

Objective:
The students will complete addition and subtraction problems using a number line.

Materials

• Individual number lines (1-10 or 1-20, depending on the grade level) for each student or each pair of students.  (There are number lines printed on the bottom of the worksheets.)  Or as an alternative, make a large number line on the classroom floor and have the students be the frogs to "hop" out the math problems.
• A "frog marker" for each student (or pair).  Use the Frog Marker Graphics to print and cut out the frogs.
• Frog Hopping Worksheet (1-10), or Frog Hopping Worksheet (1-20).
• If available, read the book "Ready, Set, Hop" (Mathstart Series) by Stuart J. Murphy.  It's a good lesson on hopping to answer addition and subtraction problems.

Procedure

1. Pass out the number lines and markers.
2. Work as a class to discuss how to use a number line to figure addition and subtraction problems. Practice as a group.  If you have made a number line on the floor, have the students take turns hopping out some sample problems.
3. Pass out the worksheets and have the students complete them individually, or as a class, depending on the age level.

Other Lesson Ideas

• For older students, have them use the number lines to complete algebra problems.  For example, "If a frog is on the number 2, how many hops must he take to get to the number 5?".  You may want to introduce the equation 2 + x = 5.
• Have the students make up story problems that involve frogs.
• Have the students measure how far they can hop.