Ways to Make Ten Firefly Activity

I love incorporating children's literature into all subjects, and Ten Flashing Fireflies, by Philemon Sturges, is one of my favorite math read-alouds for making ten. It's a delightful story about a little boy and girl who are participating in a favorite summer pastime—catching fireflies in a jar! Starting with an empty jar, they catch each of the ten fireflies in the sky one-by-one. Each page demonstrates a way to make ten by showing how the first part of fireflies in the jar plus the second part of fireflies in the sky makes ten fireflies in all. As you are reading the story have your students use ten frame trays and double-sided counters to show each way to make ten. Have them start with all of their counters turned to the red side and explain that these are the fireflies flying in the sky. Tell them that as you read, they will turn over a counter to the white side every time a firefly is caught in the jar. Using the ten frame trays and counters will help your students see and experience all of the ways to make ten. As the students are showing the way to make ten in their ten frame tray, you will be adding each way to make ten on an anchor chart. To make the anchor chart just print it, cut off the bottom, and glue or tape it together. Download the Free Ways to Make Ten Firefly Activity Printables here! Using the part-part-whole language in our classrooms is important for our students' understanding of numbers to develop. On each page of the book ask the following questions as you fill in the Ways to Make 10 anchor chart together as a class:

• What's the first part? How many fireflies are inside the jar?
• What's the second part? How many fireflies are outside in the sky?
• What's the whole? How many fireflies are in all?

After finishing the book, discuss how many ways there are to make ten and fill in the answer on the bottom of the anchor chart. Tell your students that they are going to pick one of the 11 ways to make 10 by creating a Ten Flashing Fireflies craft! Teacher craft tip: Have a sample made up ahead of time so that students have a model for what the end product will look like. Students will use the Tissue Paper Firefly Door Hanger Craft Kit to make their firefly jar. I love that the supplies for the jar and fireflies come in individually-wrapped kits! The instructions in the craft kit recommend making a tissue paper glaze by using a mixture of white glue and water with paintbrushes. However, to decrease drying time I'd recommend using Elmer's Clear Glue Sticks instead. Have students use their glue stick to apply a coat of glue to one side of the clear plastic sheet in the kit and then layer the tissue paper squares onto the glue. Students may need to reapply the glue to some of the tissue paper corners. Also, some of the tissue paper may stick out over the edge of the jar, so students may need to use scissors to trim the edges. Once the tissue paper is dry, students will use the glue stick to glue the back of the tissue paper shape to the middle of a large piece of Black Construction Paper. They will then use the glue stick to glue the white foam jar shape on top of the tissue paper shape and adhere the red foam lid sticker to the top of the jar. Teacher craft tip: Have students hold down each piece and count to 10 to make sure the glue adheres. Next, students will get 10 firefly stickers from the kit (the kit includes 12, so there will be 2 they don't need) and place some inside the jar and some outside in the sky (on the black paper). Once they have the fireflies laid out on the jar and sky, have them peel off the backs of stickers to adhere the fireflies to their craft. To finish the craft students will fill out and then glue down the Ten Flashing Fireflies Craft Title to the top of the black paper and the Ways to Make Ten paper to the bottom of the black paper. Have students share their finished craft and the way that they made ten with the class. Be sure to hang up their great work for everyone to enjoy!