Materials: Provide one shaker per student or students can make their own shakers as a pre-activity to this lesson. Students can decorate empty small single-use water bottles, fill them with rice and then glue on the lid. Two sets of floor markers with skip counting by 5s. Masking tape or sidewalk chalk are inexpensive options to floor markers. Space to move without bumping in to one another. Noise cancelling headphones for students with sound sensitivities.
Accommodations: Make necessary accommodations based on the needs of individual students. Seated students can tap one hand on their desks instead of walking and use a shaker in the other hand. Provide noise cancelling headphones for students with noise sensitivities. Visual representations of an even number of items.
Review Expectations; Student Responsibilities I will listen carefully to the instructions and will follow them. I will make safe and responsible choices. I will respect the equipment and use it safely. I will respect and encourage my classmates. I will do my best!
Activity: Students get their shakers and stand up with plenty of room to move. Demonstrate with the students marching in place and shaking the shaker on each 5 count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5(shake), 6, 7, 8, 9, 10(shake)… Continue to 30. Now we are going to march and count by 5s with our shakers. We will only say every fifth number. The markers on the floor show the numbers as we count by 5s. Two stations are set up with markers for skip-counting by 5s. The students circulate through the two stations in a circuit. After leading them through one circuit, observe their accuracy as they continue. The students shake with each step as they count by 5s through 60.
Take a Mindful Minute: Students are asked to sit back in their seats for a “Mindful Minute”. “Feet are flat on the floor, backs are straight, hands are still in our laps. We will now take five nice slow breaths while watching the breathing ball. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.”