Scripture: Genesis 37
Learning Objectives:
- Students will review the story of Jacob and his sons and Joseph’s dreams.
- Students will learn how to write math facts for the number 12.
Guiding Question: How many different ways can I make the number 12 by adding?
Materials:
Paper stars
Paper
Pencil
Paper Plates
Procedure:
Jacob had 12 sons. These 12 sons would eventually become the 12 tribes of Israel. In the Bible, the number 12 was an important number that often stood for completion. Discuss how the number 12 is used all around us to represent completion. Brainstorm how we use the number 12 to help us measure and organize things. Examples: a dozen eggs or cupcakes, 12 months in a year, 12 numbers on the face of a clock, 12 inches in a foot, etc. The number 12 can be an easy number to work with. Review Joseph’s dreams where his 12 brothers bowed down to him in the form of wheat and stars.
Divide students into pairs. Give each pair 12 paper stars and two paper plates. Have students find how many ways they can add their stars to equal 12 by placing their stars on the two plates. Then have them write their math sentence down. Example: 8 stars on one plate and 4 stars on another plate would be 8+4=12. Explain that these are called addition facts.
Additional Questions:
- What patterns do you see?
- What strategies/tricks did you use?
Supplemental Activities:
- Have students do the activity with a number of their choosing.
- Have students keep a log of how they use 12 in their everyday life.
Written by: Savannah Negas