Learning Objectives
Students will be able to describe the difference between short and tall.
Grade Levels
K-2
Common Core Standard
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.MD.A.2
Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which object has “more of”/”less of” the attribute, and describe the difference.
Materials Needed
Short and Tall (Cork and Fuzz) by Dori Chaconas
Pencil and yardstick (or another short and tall item)
(3-5) AKC Guide to Purebred Dogs posters
2 different color markers (1 set for each group)
Lesson
Introduction
- Gather the students together and read the book Short & Tall (Cork and Fuzz) by Dori Chaconas.
- This book is a great way to review the concepts of short and tall.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher Modeling
- Give the definition of short and tall using words your students will understand. For example, short is when something is a small distance away from the ground and tall is when something is a greater distance from the ground.
- Display two items side by side, where one is tall and the other is short. For example, show a pencil and a yard stick.
- Explain to the students that the yard stick is tall compared to the pencil because the top of it has a greater distance from the ground.
- Explain that the pencil is short compared to the yard stick because its top has less distance from the ground.
- Give students the pencil and yardstick to hold and compare them.
Working Time
- Split students into groups of 4-5.
- Give each group a printable AKC Guide to Purebred Dogs poster. You can find this at www.akc.org.
- Have students work together to identify the dogs that are short and tall. They can circle short dogs with one color marker and tall dogs with a second color marker.
Review and Closing
- Bring the students together and display a clean copy of the AKC Guide to Purebred Dogs.
- Have students give you examples of short dogs and tall dogs.
- Discuss what makes dogs short compared to those that are tall.
References
American Kennel Club. (n.d.) Retrieved from www.akc.org.
Chaconas, D. (2010). Short and Tall: Cork and Fuzz. London, England: Penguin Young Readers.