1
Five on one hand
Discover Mathematics: Chapter 1
GoalCount up to 5 things, show 5 with one hand, and say which group has more and which has fewer.
New words
five · four and one moremore · the bigger groupfewer · the smaller group
Explanation
After four comes five. Five is four and one more. One hand has five fingers, so you can show five with one hand. To count five things, touch each one once and say the numbers in order: one, two, three, four, five. When there are two groups, count each group. The group with the bigger number has more things. The group with the smaller number has fewer things.
Worked examples
Omar hangs 5 lanterns for Ramadan. He touches each one: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. There are 5 lanterns.
Count the fingers on one hand: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. A hand always shows 5.
Karim has 5 kites and Farida has 3 kites. Karim’s group has more. Farida’s group has fewer.
Class activity
Two bowls game. Put some dried beans in two bowls, up to 5 in each bowl. The child counts each bowl aloud, then says which bowl has more, which has fewer, or whether they are the same. Change the beans and play again.
Practice
1
How many lemons are there?
5
2
Marwan puts tomatoes in a basket. How many tomatoes are there?
4
3
Which group has more balloons, the left group or the right group?
The right group. It has 4 balloons and the left group has 2.
4
Which group has fewer: the cats or the dogs?
The dogs. There are 3 dogs and 5 cats.
5
Show 5 with the fingers of one hand. Now put one finger down. How many fingers are still up?
5 fingers, then 4 fingers.