Early Years Maths Lesson 1 – Teacher Notes
Summary
In this lesson, children will learn about BBC Children in Need through watching a video designed just for them. They then role-play a Pudsey Bake Sale using the Pudsey cupcake printable resources. As they interact together and have fun, they will develop their number skills with a variety of counting and money-based activities.
Through the story, in the accompanying PowerPoint, they will learn that a bake sale is an effective and communal fundraising activity. Their learning will then be transferred to a real-life context when they write invitations and design price tags for an actual bake sale in which they (with parents’ help) can donate cakes and biscuits.
Learning Outcomes
ELG 11 – Number
Children will:
Count reliably with numbers from 1 to 20, place them in order and say which number is one more or one less than a given number
Using quantities and objects, add and subtract two single-digit numbers and count on or back to find the answer
Solve problems including doubling, halving and sharing
ELG 12 – Shape, space and measures
Children will:
Use everyday language to talk about size, weight, capacity, position, distance, time and money, and also to compare quantities and objects and solve problems
Recognise, as well as create and describe, patterns
Explore characteristics of everyday objects and shapes, and use mathematical language to describe them
Related Resources
Teacher – Early Years Maths Lesson 1 PowerPoint
Teacher - Bake sale invitation template
You can print copies of these from the Teacher PowerPoint - no need for extra downloads!
Pupils – Story slides on PowerPoint - can also be used as colouring pages
Pupil – Pudsey cupcake flashcards – can also be laminated to write over
Introduction
Show Video 2: Introduction to BBC Children in Need from the Teacher PowerPoint slide 2. Then share the story of Pudsey raising money with his bake sale for BBC Children in Need from the Teacher PowerPoint slides 3-9. Discuss with the children about how they can be Champions of Change and make money for BBC Children in Need through an event like a bake sale. Talk about how Pudsey might use the money you raise to help children.
Activities
Give pupils the Pudsey cupcake cards from the Teacher PowerPoint (these can be laminated). In groups children can carry out a range of tasks with the teacher to suit different abilities. Children working independently can use the Pudsey story book colouring activities until it is their turn to work with a teacher.
Pudsey Cupcake tasks:
Match the numbered cupcake cases to the
frosting with the corresponding dots
Count the cupcakes
Order the cupcakes
Compare the cupcakes – e.g. which has the most/least dots,
which feature Pudsey Bear?
Add piles of cupcakes together
Share the cupcakes onto the Pudsey plates
Halve and double the number of cupcakes on the Pudsey plates
Subtract the number of cupcakes that are ‘bought’
Write prices for the cupcakes
Match the play money coins to the cupcake prices
As a practical activity, children can set up ‘stalls’ in the role-play area. Here they can draw cupcakes and label them with simple prices (or emergent writing) and organise themselves ready to sell to their ‘customers’. Let children take turns selling and buying. This activity allows children to experience the value of money and reinforces mathematical skills such as sorting, comparing, counting, addition and subtraction. Role-play also provides children with plenty of opportunities to develop their social (and, in this case, perhaps haggling) skills!
Whole Class Plenary
As a class, mind map ideas for a real Early Years (or whole school) bake sale for BBC Children in Need. What treats might be brought in? Cupcakes, cookies, popcorn etc. Talk about where stalls could be set up in the school and how to make them look cheerful.
Children can then take home invitations for their parents promoting the Champions of Change bake sale (slides 12-14).
Make sure that the pupils acting as lead Champions of Change in your school know about your fundraising plans.
Extension ideas
While potentially messy, baking in class helps Early Years children develop their measuring skills and attain a real sense of achievement through what they produce. Alternatively, children can decorate ready-made biscuits or plain fairy cakes with icing, sweets, sprinkles, etc. There is also an opportunity to draw out work on symmetrical patterns or 2D shapes.
Producing homemade bunting is a great way to develop children’s understanding of repeating patterns. Give each child a triangle to colour or paint and attach the triangles to a length of ribbon or string. Use the bunting to decorate bake sale stalls around the school and enjoy the children’s excitement as they see their work on display!