Kindergarten - Grade 3 Math

Some of the following Common Core Standards can be supported with the use of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Trading Cards Sets 1 through 6 simply because they are useable and countable objects. Please see suggested standards and basic instructions for use. Feel free to adapt or modify these ideas.

Count to answer "how many?" questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-20, count out that many objects.
Arrange cards, up to 20, in a line, a rectangular array or a circle. Have the students count the cards.
Scatter the cards in unorganized groups, up to 10, and have the students count the cards.
Give the students a number between one and 20 and have the students count out that number of cards.

Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.
Scatter or arrange (line, rectangular array, etc.) the cards into two separate groups, with the number of cards being equal in each group. Have the students identify if the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than or equal to the number of objects in another group.

Scatter or arrange (line, rectangular array, etc.) the cards into two separate groups, with the number of cards being greater in one group. Have the students determine if the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than or equal to the number of objects in the other group. Now ask them how “less than” applies to this activity and show them using these two card groups.

Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions or equations.
Show the process of addition to the students by scattering or arranging (line, rectangular array, etc.) several cards and adding a few more to achieve the desired sum.
Show the process of subtraction to the students by scattering or arranging (line, rectangular array, etc.) several cards and taking a few away to achieve the desired difference.

Solve addition and subtraction word problems and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
Develop a word problem for the students (e.g., Student A has five cards and Student B has four cards. If Student B gives Student A three of their cards, how many cards does Student A have? How many cards does Student B have left?).

Edit this suggested word problem for several different sums and differences, remembering to remain within 10.

Decompose numbers less than or equal to 10 into pairs in more than one way, e.g., by using objects or drawings and record each decomposition by a drawing or equation (e.g., 5 = 2 + 3 and 5 = 4 + 1).
Set out a known number of cards. For this example, we will use eight. Decompose the eight cards, one at a time, to show the following: 7 + 1 = 8, 6 + 2 = 8, 5 + 3 = 8, 4 + 4 = 8. Continue this process to show 3 + 5 = 8, 2 + 6 = 8, 1 + 7 = 8.

For any number from 1 to 9, find the number that makes 10 when added to the given number, e.g., by using objects or drawings and record the answer with a drawing or equation.
Set 10 cards. Show the following: 9 + 1 = 10, 8 + 2 = 10, 7 + 3 = 10, 6 + 4 = 10, 5 + 5 = 10. Continue this process to show 4 + 6 = 10, 3 + 7 = 10, 2 + 8 = 10, 1 + 9 = 10.

Have the students write the above equations to show the process.

Have the students draw rectangles (the shape of the card) or tick marks to show the process.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.NBT.A.1
Compose and decompose numbers from 11 to 19 into ten ones and some further ones, e.g., by using objects or drawings, and record each composition or decomposition by a drawing or equation (such as 18 = 10 + 8); understand that these numbers are composed of ten ones and one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or nine ones.
Decompose cards using the process listed in CCSS.Math.Content.K.OA.A.4, increasing the number of cards to at least 11, but not more than 20.

Arrange 10 cards into two rows of five and columns of two. This will represent the tens grouping. Add one additional card, one at a time, to show sums of 11 through 19. This group will represent the ones grouping.

Measurement and Data
CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.A.1
Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
Discuss that the length of the card is a measurable attribute. Discuss that the width of the card is a measurable attribute.

Discuss that the weight of the card, although very light, is a measurable attribute.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.MD.B.3
Classify objects into given categories; count the numbers of objects in each category and sort the categories by count.
Pick a group of cards from your deck with easily recognizable images (birds, trees, mammals, insects, etc.). Have the students separate the cards into predetermined categories (birds, trees, mammals, insects, etc.). Once the cards have been correctly divided into the predetermined categories, have the students count the number of cards in each.

Have the students divide the categories into groups from most to least.

Geometry
CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.A.1
Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind and next to.
Collect several objects of differing shape (e.g. square, circle, triangle, rectangle.). Pick one object to be the central source for describing the relative positions.

Have the student hold one object above the central source object and describe.
Have the student hold one object below the central source object and describe.
Have the student hold one object in front of the central source object and describe.
Have the student hold one object behind the central source object and describe.
Have the student hold one object next to the central source object and describe.

CCSS.Math.Content.K.G.A.2
Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.
Use a trading card to represent the rectangle.

Develop a word problem for the students (e.g., Student A has nine cards and Student B has seven cards. If Student B gives Student A three of their cards, how many cards does Student A have? How many cards does Student B have left?).

Edit this suggested word problem for several different sums and differences, remembering to remain within 20.

Develop a word problem for the students (e.g., Student A has six cards, Student B has seven cards and Student C has three cards. If Student A and B give Student C all their cards, how many cards does Student C have?).

Edit this suggested word problem for several different sums, remembering to remain within 20.

Divide the trading cards into three groups of up to 20 each. Have the students pull out two cards at a time from each group.

If there is a single card left, explain to the students this group had an odd number of cards in the beginning.

If there are no cards left, explain to the students this group had an even number of cards in the beginning.

Arrange the cards into rectangular arrays of your choosing, up to five rows and five columns. Have the students determine the number of cards in each row or column. Through the process of addition, have the students determine the total number of cards in each array.

Use a trading card as the object to be measured.

Use a trading card as the object to be measured.

CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.A.3
Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters and meters.
Use a trading card as the object’s length to be estimated.

Use a trading card as one of the objects to be measured.

Use a trading card as one of the objects to be measured.

Group the trading cards as described above. Use different groupings to represent different products, e.g. six groups of four objects each, etc., to represent 6 x 4 = 24 and 4 x 6 = 24.

Group the trading cards as described above. Use different groupings to represent different quotients, e.g., six groups of four objects each to represent 24 ÷ 6 = 4 and 24 ÷ 4 = 6.