Movement Equations

Objective of Lesson: Students will be able to understand addition as putting together and
subtraction as taking away by representing the numbers and operations of the problems through
movement. Students will be able to understand how quantities of basic locomotor movements can be
used to represent numbers and operations in equations.
Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations:
Mathematics
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Kindergarten Standard: Understand addition as putting together and adding to, and understand
subtraction as taking apart and taking from.
K.OA.1. Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings,
sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.
K.OA.2. Solve addition and subtraction word problems, and add and subtract within 10, e.g., by
using objects or drawings to represent the problem.
Dance:
ART.D.I.K.1. Explore basic locomotor movements; e.g., walk, run, gallop, slide, and jump
moving in a straight pathway.
ART.D.I.K.8. Follow the movement lead of the teacher.
Grade: Kindergarten

Time: 80 minutes

Source Materials:

amathsdictionaryforkids.com (used for definitions of addition and

subtraction), YouTube.com (Adding and Subtracting Song)

Teaching Materials:

Individual whiteboards for students, whiteboard markers, masking tape,

number pages 1-10, computer with internet access, projector

Engagement 10
Load the Adding and Subtracting Song by Harry Kindergarten Music on YouTube on the
computer, and project it using classroom projector.
Students will watch the video all together while sitting on the rug as a group and sing along to
the lyrics with the video and teacher. Students will then have the opportunity to listen to the
song again a second time, but this time they will dance around the carpet space to the music.
This will allow them to warm up their bodies and get their muscles activated for the rest of the
lesson.
Internal assessment:

How did these activities help students understanding of addition and subtraction?

Did students have an opportunity to model movements, singing, and dancing after the teacher?

What kinds of basic locomotor movements were students exhibiting during their free dance
time? Inquire with the children and write a list on the board of the movements they said they
did.

Grouping: whole group

Time: 10 minutes

Introduction of Information - 10

Type: sound/music/dance movements

Pull up the website amathsdictionaryforkids.com to look at the definitions of Addition and

Subtraction with examples and interactive practice.
o

Addition is defined as: to join two or more numbers (or quantities) to get one
number (called the sum or total).

Subtraction is defined as: to take one quantity away from another.

Review the list of movements we created on the board that students had done during their free
dance time. The student who shared that movement before will demonstrate the movement for
the class again and everyone will follow along with that student and teacher. If the following
movements: walk, run, gallop, slide, and jump, have not been covered, then make sure to
include them on the board and demonstrate them for the students so that way every student has
a clear understanding of what each basic locomotor movement is.

Internal assessment:

Do students understand the definitions of addition and subtraction?

Do students understand each of the movements?
Are students comfortable moving in front of other classmates?
How will this lead to students being able to move more comfortably later in the lesson?

Grouping: whole group

Time: 10 minutes

Type: review/sharing/demonstrating

Warm Up Activity 15

Students will get into groups of 3 or 4.

Pass out individual whiteboards and white board markers to each group. 1 per group.

Teacher will set up a large number line in the front of the classroom that has the number pages
laid out from 1 to 10.

This is where we will make the connection between representing numbers with quantities of a
movement, and represent operations with a designated movement.
o

Notes:

This is the part where we explain to students that in dance we use movement to
represent feelings or some kind of objective: i.e., hunching our shoulders over,
tilting our head down, and bending our knees to express a sad or feeling down
emotion. The same way we can represent emotions, we are going to represent
numbers.

The operation of subtraction will be represented by sliding the right foot away
from the left and extending arms out into a horizontal line to represent a
subtraction sign.

The operation of addition will be represented by jumping with feet together and
crossing arms in front of the body to represent the addition sign.

Students will follow along with the teacher for a few examples of addition and subtraction
equations. They will write the equations down on their whiteboards, and then model the basic
locomotor movements while the teacher shows them how to do them and use the number line.
o The numbers for the equations will all be within 10: the largest number to show up
anywhere in the equation will be 10.
The teacher will write a number equation: i.e. 5+5=10 on the board. The teacher will pick a
motion to do 5 times, and then do it 5 times down the number line to the number 5 card. So, one
movement for each spot on the number line. Then the teacher will jump together and cross arms
to make the addition sign. Then the teacher will do the same motion for the first 5, for the
second 5, moving 5 more spaces down the number line to 10. Once the teacher gets to ten, they
will make a giant X with their body and yell 10! This is to signify what the sum is.
This same process will be done for subtraction problem examples.

Internal assessment:

How do the repeated movements help symbolize the abstract nature of representing concepts
with dance movements?
How do we symbolize addition and subtraction with specific movements?
What basic locomotor movements have students identified on their own?
Did students have a hard or easy time following along with the equation/movement process?
Does the number line help or confused the movement process with the equations?
Do the movements help you understand addition and subtraction?
What movement was most popular? Why do you think?

Grouping: groups of 3 or 4 Time: 15 minutes

Type: movement representations of numbers

and operations

Processing Information 20

Now that students have had an opportunity to view many examples and discuss with the teacher
how to use the number line in combination with basic locomotor movements and number
equations to practice addition and subtraction, students will create an addition equation and a
subtraction equation in their small groups including their selected movements, designated
operation representation movements, number line usage, and white boards to write down their
equation that they will hand to the teacher once they get ready to perform.

Teacher will float around to each group and make sure to check the progress of their
performances and how they represent the addition and subtraction equations.

Internal assessment:

How does this process allow students to understand dance?

How does this process allow students to understand concepts of addition and subtraction?
Are students understanding the concept of basic locomotor movements?
Are students making the connection between movements symbolizing numbers?
How are students working together in groups as art creators?

Grouping: small groups

Time: 20 minutes Type: movement creation of equations

Sharing and Review 15

Teacher will remind students how to use the number line to represent their equations with their
movements. Students will go group by group and the rest of the class will guess what their
equation is.
o

Note: Express to students that, in dance, the movements of the dancers is left up to the
interpretation of the audience. So we are interpreting each groups work with equations and
the movement to represent them.

Assess as each one ends.

Internal assessment:

What was the equation?

What movements did the students choose?

Who represented the operation movement?

Who told us what the product of the equation was?

Did students move in a straight line along our number line?

Show the students the equation that was written on the whiteboard. Did the group write the
equation correctly?

Why did the students pick the movements they did?

Grouping: small/whole group Time: 15 minutes Type: movement performance of equations

Evaluation and Closure - 10

What is addition?

What is subtraction?

What are basic locomotor movements?

What are we doing when we put things together?

What are we doing when we take some away?

How do we skip?

How do we jump?

Teacher will call out each movement, and students will do them without the teacher modeling.

How did we interpret students movement equations when we all shared with the class?

Where did we dance today?

After the Lesson students could:

Use the movement equations to do operations with numbers 11-20 to increase understanding of
place value.

Expand upon knowledge of movement to include more varieties of movements: including levels
and movements through space instead of just linear.

Use the idea of partners and contact movements to create and represent more complex numbers
and equations.

Notes
Notes included in the body of the lesson plan.
Vocabulary Math and Dance
Definitions of vocabulary for both content areas included in body of lesson plan.
o Noted again:
Addition is defined as: to join two or more numbers (or quantities) to get one
number (called the sum or total).
Subtraction is defined as: to take one quantity away from another.
Basic locomotor movements: walk, run, gallop, slide, and jump.