Early Math  /  Equipartitioning  /  Hands-On  /  Activity

Act Out The Doorbell Rang

 

Equipartitioning
Hands-On

Children act out the story from the book The Doorbell Rang.

Two young girls sitting on a carpet hold paper cut-outs of cookies. Their classmates look on. A preschool teacher sitting on the floor hands paper cookie cut-outs to several children.

Children divide 12 cookies between a pair of children.

They then divide 12 cookies between 4, 6, and 12 children.

 

Materials


Materials used in Act Out The Doorbell Rang.
 
Materials PDF
  • The Doorbell Rang, by Pat Hutchins
  • Paper Cookies (PDF)
  • Cardstock or plain paper
  • Scissors
  • 12 small paper plates

Preparation

  1. Print out the Paper Cookies PDF and cut out the cookies.
  2. Gather 12 paper plates.
 

Directions


  1. Choose 2 children as volunteers. Give each a paper plate. Hold up the 12 cookies and say, We have 12 cookies to share between 2 children. How can we divide the cookies so that each child has an equal share, or the same number of cookies? Call on children to suggest how to divide the cookies into 2 equal shares. Pick a strategy and have the 2 children with the plates use the strategy to share the cookies.
  2. Once the cookies are shared, ask, How do we know if the cookies are shared equally? If no one is sure, suggest counting each plate of cookies. If the shares are not equal, ask, Who has more? Who has fewer? What can we do so that each child has the same number and the cookies are shared equally? Take suggestions and have the children make the shares equal.
  3. Collect the plates and cookies. Choose 4 different children and give each a plate. Ask, How many children are there now? Repeat Steps 1 and 2, having the children figure out how to make 4 equal shares.
  4. Repeat the activity with 6 new children, and then with 12 new children. Continue to engage the children in a discussion about how to create equal shares.

Note: Extend the activity with an actual cookie-eating activity. As a group, count the number of children in the class. Show them a collection of cookies you have prepared, with enough for each child to have a few (2, for example). Count the cookies together. Ask the children how many cookies each child should get so that everyone has an equal share. After discussing this problem, share the cookies and enjoy eating them! (Watch out for food allergies.)


Length of Play

10–15 min.

Group Size

Whole Class

In the Schedule

Circle Time


 
Vocabulary
  • equal
  • same
  • different
  • more
  • less
  • fewer
  • half
  • add
  • divide
  • too few
  • too many
  • not enough
  • same number
  • share
  • number names
 
Learning Goals
  • Divide a collection of objects into equal groups
  • Understand what it means to share equally
  • Compare collections of objects, and identify which has more and by how many
  • Learn or reinforce number names
  • Count a collection of objects