Plants are All Around Us-How Many Little Seeds Math Task Activity #2


Activity Description: 

Students explore the concept of addition and subtraction combining and dividing seeds in a pot. Students pretend to be busy gardeners, adding seeds to the pot to plant and grow, or hungry birds, swooping down from high above to subtract seeds from the pot to eat.


Students will explore counting down from 10-0 along the number line, singing and moving to a song about seeds. 

Educational Standards: 

PK.OA.1 Demonstrates an understanding of addition and subtraction by using objects, fingers, and responding to practical situations (e.g. if we have 3 apples and add two more, how many do we have all together?). 

PK.CC.4 Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 10 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 5 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1-10, count out that many objects. 

Doing the Activity: 

The Activity can be found on Page 6 of the PDF below.

  • Create a number line on the floor with your students (see above). 
  • Write the song “little flower seeds” on chart paper with images for students to follow along. 
  • Have 10 students stand along the number line and pretend to be the “seed sinking into the mud,” sitting down as their number is called. 
  • Pause and prompt students to note how many are left. 
10 minutes at meeting time
The New York City Department of Education via OERCommons,