Kindergarten Valentine's Day Lesson Plan

Candy Themed Cooperative Group or Learning Center Math Activties

Jan 21, 2009

Kindergarten students learn how to sort, graph, survey, estimate, and record results in cooperative groups during a Valentine's Day math lesson.

Teachers can use candy to motivate students to learn and practice new math skills. Valentine’s Day candies are used as math manipulatives or visual aids that help the kindergarteners internalize math concepts while having fun.

Sort and Graph Conversation Heart Candy Lesson

Kindergarten teachers can teach students to sort objects into groups using candy conversation hearts. The teacher divides the class into cooperative groups and gives each group a large pile of conversation hearts. The teacher asks the students to think of different ways that they can group or sort the candy.

Each cooperative group works together to sort the candy by color. The group recorder or secretary writes how many hearts there are of each color. The reporter then tells the class the results and the teacher writes them on the board.

The teacher places a large bar graph on the board and explains to the students how the graph works. The teacher writes “Number of Hearts” on the vertical axis and “Color” on the horizontal axis. He then demonstrates how to graph the number of candies in each group on the graph. The kindergarten students discuss the results, draw a picture of their activity in their math journals and record the results on their individual graphs.

Estimate and Measure Candy Bar Math Lesson

Kindergarten students can learn to estimate and measure using candy bars as manipulatives. The teacher begins the lesson by holding up a jumbo size candy bar and asking the class how many inches or centimeters long they think it is. She tells them that they have estimated the length of the candy bar. She verbalizes how to use a ruler while she measuring the candy bar.

The Kindergarten class uses the results of the large candy bar to estimate a smaller candy bar. The teacher has a volunteer come up and use the ruler to measure the candy bar. The class discusses the results. The teacher then places the students into cooperative groups and gives each group rulers, measurement sheets, and four candy bars.

The cooperative groups work together to estimate and measure each candy bar. The teacher circulates throughout the room to prompt students and provide individual instruction if needed. The groups report their results to the class and then write how to estimate and measure in their math journals.

Favorite Valentine’s Day Candy Bulletin Board

Kindergarten teachers can have their classes create a Valentine’s Day bulletin board about their favorite candies. The students are placed into cooperative groups and asked to come up with a group name. The groups survey each other and write their favorite candies on a sheet of paper making tally marks for any candy that gets more than one vote.

Each group then creates a construction paper sign listing and illustrating their favorites. The teacher will take all of the groups’ information and use it to model how to compile the results of the group surveys into one larger list. The results of all of the students are displayed on a bulletin board along with the group signs. The bulletin board is decorated with hearts and candy wrappers for Valentine’s Day.

After the Kindergarten students have completed the candy math lessons in cooperative groups the teacher can create a Valentine’s Day Candy Math Center in the classroom. Mini-versions of the group activities can be placed in the center. Students can practice estimating and measuring candy bars, sorting and counting candy hearts, and answer questions about the favorite candy survey bulletin board.

The copyright of the article Kindergarten Valentine's Day Lesson Plan in Primary School Lesson Plans is owned by Megan Sheakoski. Permission to republish Kindergarten Valentine's Day Lesson Plan in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.