In this Kindergarten math lesson plan, teachers use Kevin Henkes's picture book Julius's Candy Corn [HarperFestival, 2003] to provide Kindergartners with practice counting to ten and with solving simple subtraction problems. The story's setting and plot make this book appropriate for use as part of a Halloween math lesson plan that can be adapted for use with any holiday during which children receive treats.
How to Build Background before Reading with Counting to Ten
Display the cover of the book and then the title page. Have students identify the object in Julius's hand and on the title page (candy corn). Discuss when this candy is often eaten (Halloween) and invite students to share their own experiences with this Halloween treat. Then have students count how many pieces of candy corn are pictured on the cover and on the title page (1 and 3).
Explain that the setting of this book is a Halloween party. Invite students to share background knowledge about things found at Halloween parties, such as costumes and Halloween treats. Ask students how many cupcakes Julius's mother would need to serve at a Halloween party for 10 people (10).
Stick 10 flannel or felt cupcakes in a row on a feltboard, having students count along from 1 to 10 as each cupcake is added to the board. Then ask students how many pieces of candy corn Julius's mother would need if she was going to decorate each cupcake with one piece (10). Stick one piece of felt candy corn on top of each felt cupcake, again having students count along from 1 to 10.
How to Share Julius's Candy Corn with Students
Give each student 10 pieces of candy corn (or 10 pieces of felt or paper candy corn). Then, read the book aloud. Stop to monitor comprehension in the middle and ask students what is happening as Julius "counts" the candy corn (he is eating each one). After reading the book, have students line their pieces of candy corn in a row. Then ask them to point to and count each piece from 1 to 10, moving each piece to the side as it is counted.
How to Teach Subtraction with Candy Manipulatives
Ask students to line their 10 pieces of candy corn up again. Then ask students to think about how they could use the candy corn to solve subtraction problems. For example:
- If Julius has 10 pieces of candy corn and eats 1, how many pieces are left?
- If Julius has 9 pieces of candy corn and eats 1, how many pieces are left?
- If Julius has 5 pieces of candy corn and eats 2, how many pieces are left?
After students have made suggestions, model how to act out and solve the problem with candy manipulatives. Select problems to match the abilities of students, asking struggling students to subtract only by 1 and challenging more advanced students to subtract by 2, 3, or even 9.
Candy Math Lesson Plan Extension Activities
- If students need an extra challenge, introduce them to more complicated problems, such as: Julius's mother makes 10 candy corn-decorated cupcakes, but Julius eats the candy corn off of 3 of them. How many more pieces of candy corn does Julius's mother need to make sure each cupcake has a piece of candy corn? or Julius invited 10 friends to come to his party, but 2 friends cannot come. How many pieces of candy corn does Julius need to decorate enough cupcakes so that every friend who can come to the party will have one?
- Have students with good writing and reasoning skills create their own simple candy corn word problems, trade with a partner, and solve each other's problems.
Using Halloween candy corn as the focus for this Kindergarten math lesson plan will keep students interested in learning how to use manipulatives to solve subtraction problems. Teachers (and parents) can use up extra Halloween candy while giving students practice with basic math and problem-solving skills.
Teachers searching for other holiday-themed candy lesson plans based on books from Kevin Henkes's A Box of Treats can use Owen's Marshmallow Chick [HarperFestival, 2003] in an Easter Kindergarten math lesson plan to teach matching and sorting by color, Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick [HarperFestival, 2001] in a Christmas elementary candy math lesson plan to teach fractions, and Wemberly's Ice-Cream Star [HarperFestival, 2003] in a Fourth of July elementary science lesson plan to teach how a solid changes to a liquid.
Renee Carver - Renée Carver has an Elementary Education degree and over ten years of experience writing and editing children's educational products.
Join the Conversation