First and Last: Understanding Position

Math Grades 1st Grade 2:20 Video
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Lesson Description

Learn about the concepts of 'first' and 'last' using a fun video about an ice cream line and a train. This lesson will help you understand where things are in a line or order.

Video Resource

Learn Grade 1 - Maths - First and Last

KidsClassroom - Nursery Rhymes & Kids Songs

Duration: 2:20
Watch on YouTube

Key Concepts

  • First
  • Last
  • Position
  • Order

Learning Objectives

  • Students will be able to identify the first and last object in a sequence.
  • Students will be able to use the terms 'first' and 'last' to describe the position of an object in a line or order.

Educator Instructions

  • Introduction (5 mins)
    Begin by asking students if they have ever stood in a line. Ask them who was first and who was last. Explain that today they will learn more about 'first' and 'last'.
  • Video Viewing (3 mins)
    Play the YouTube video: Learn Grade 1 - Maths - First and Last. Encourage students to pay attention to how 'first' and 'last' are used.
  • Discussion (5 mins)
    After the video, discuss what they saw. Ask questions about the ice cream line and the train. Who was first in line? Which coach was last on the train?
  • Activity: Lining Up (7 mins)
    Have the students line up. Ask them who is first in line, and who is last in line. Then, have them rearrange themselves and repeat the question. You can also have them line up based on a specific quality (e.g. height) and then ask the first/last questions
  • Worksheet Activity (10 mins)
    Provide a worksheet with pictures of lines of objects (e.g., animals, shapes). Students should circle the first object and put a square around the last object in each line.

Interactive Exercises

  • Class Line Up
    Call out different characteristics (e.g., by birthday month, alphabetically by first name) and have students line up accordingly. Then identify the first and last student in each line.
  • Object Sort
    Give students a set of objects (e.g., crayons, blocks) and have them arrange them in a line. Then, ask them to identify the first and last object. You can change the property for ordering them (e.g., by size).

Discussion Questions

  • Can you think of other times when you need to know who is first or last?
  • What happens if the order of the line changes? Does who is first or last also change?

Skills Developed

  • Listening comprehension
  • Identifying position
  • Following directions

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1:

If you are first in line for lunch, where are you?

Correct Answer: At the front

Question 2:

Which word tells you who is at the end of the line?

Correct Answer: Last

Question 3:

The engine is ________ on the train.

Correct Answer: First

Question 4:

If there are three kids in a race, who is at the end?

Correct Answer: The last kid

Question 5:

Which animal came last in the race in the video?

Correct Answer: Tortoise

Question 6:

In a line of crayons, the red crayon is first. What color could the last crayon be?

Correct Answer: Blue

Question 7:

If a book is the first book on the shelf, where is it?

Correct Answer: At the beginning

Question 8:

In a line of ducks, which duck do you see at the end?

Correct Answer: The last duck

Question 9:

If your name is first on a list, what does that mean?

Correct Answer: You are at the front

Question 10:

What does it mean when someone says, 'Save the best for last'?

Correct Answer: Eat it at the end

Fill in the Blank Questions

Question 1:

The opposite of first is _______.

Correct Answer: last

Question 2:

If you are at the front of the line, you are ______.

Correct Answer: first

Question 3:

In the video, the _______ was last in the race.

Correct Answer: tortoise

Question 4:

The engine on the train comes ______.

Correct Answer: first

Question 5:

The word 'last' tells you who is at the ______ of the line.

Correct Answer: end

Question 6:

If a green ball is at the end of a line, it is the ______ ball.

Correct Answer: last

Question 7:

When you read a book, you start at the _______ page.

Correct Answer: first

Question 8:

If you finish a race and are the last one to cross the line, you are ______.

Correct Answer: last

Question 9:

At the start of a song you hear the ______ note.

Correct Answer: first

Question 10:

If a building has ten floors, the floor at the very top is the ______ floor.

Correct Answer: last

Educational Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.1.OA.A.1:Use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using objects, drawings, and equations with a symbol for the unknown number to represent the problem. CCSS.Math.Content.1.MD.C.4:Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.

Teaching Materials

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Student Worksheet Classroom Slides Assessment Quiz Export to Google Docs
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