How to Teach Top, Middle, and Bottom with MathSkills4Kids's Video | Lesson Plan

To introduce the lesson, you can:

• Ask the students if they know what position means. Explain that position is where something is located or placed in relation to something else.
• Ask the students what top, middle, and bottom mean. Explain that these are words we use to describe the position of objects. For example, we can say that a ball is on top of a book, a book is in the middle of a stack of books, or a block is at the bottom of a pile of blocks.
• Write the top, middle, and bottom words on the board or chart paper. Ask the students to repeat them after you. Point to each word as you say it. Ask the students to point to each word as you say it.

To warm up the students for the lesson, you can:

• Show them some objects of different shapes and sizes. Ask them to identify the shape and color of each object. For example, you can say, "What shape is this?" or "What color is this?"
• Arrange some objects in different positions on a table or the floor. Ask the students to describe the position of each object using the words top, middle, and bottom. For example, you can say, "Where is the ball?" or "Where is the book?" Please encourage them to use complete sentences. For example, they can say, "The ball is on top of the book" or "The book is in the middle of the table."
• Praise the students for their answers. Correct any mistakes gently.

To introduce the concept of position using top, middle, and bottom, you can:

• Tell the students they will watch a video from mathskills4kids.com that will teach them more about position using top, middle, and bottom. Tell them they must pay attention to what they see and hear in the video.
• Show them the video from the mathskills4kids channel (https://youtu.be/edsrNp0D43g). Pause the video at specific points to ask questions or check comprehension. For example, you can pause after each example and ask, "What position is this?" or "How do you know?" You can pause after each question and ask the students to answer before showing the answer. For example, you can pause after the question "Which shape is at the bottom?" and ask the students to say the answer before showing it.
• After the video, review the main points with the students. Ask them to recall what they learned from the video. For example, you can ask, "What words do we use to describe the position of objects?" or "How do we compare the positions of two or more objects?" Write their answers on the board or chart paper. Praise them for their responses. Correct any errors gently.

To reinforce and practice the concept of position using top, middle, and bottom, you can:

• Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Give each pair or group objects of different shapes and sizes, some paper, and some crayons or markers. Tell them they will create their own examples of position using top, middle, and bottom. They can use the objects to arrange them in different positions on the paper. They can also draw pictures of objects in different positions on the paper. They should write a sentence describing each object's position using the words top, middle, and bottom. For example, they can write, "The circle is on top of the square" or "The triangle is in the middle of the rectangle."
• Give them some time to work on their examples. Monitor their progress and provide feedback as needed. Help them with spelling or grammar if necessary.
• Ask them to share their examples with the class when they are done. Have them show their paper and read their sentences aloud. Ask the other students to comment on their examples. For example, they can say, "I like your example," or "Your example is correct," or "Your example is different from mine." Praise them for their work and creativity.

To encourage group sharing and reflection, you can:

• Ask the students to sit in a circle. Tell them they will share what they learned from this lesson. Ask them to think of one thing they learned or liked about this lesson. Give them some time to think.
• Go around the circle and ask each student to share their answer. For example, they can say, "I learned how to use top, middle, and bottom to describe position," or "I liked watching the video," or "I liked making my own examples." Praise them for their answers. Repeat their answers and summarize them for the class.
• Thank them for sharing, and tell them that they did a great job.

To conclude the lesson, you can:

• Review the main points of the lesson with the students. Ask them to recall what they learned from this lesson. For example, you can ask, "What words do we use to describe position?" or "How do we compare position?" Write their answers on the board or chart paper. Praise them for their responses. Correct any errors gently.
• Tell them they have learned how to identify and compare positions using top, middle, and bottom. Tell them this is an essential skill that will help them in math and life.
• Tell them they can practice this skill at home or in other settings by looking at different objects and describing their position using the top, middle, and bottom. Give them examples of objects they can use at home or in other settings, such as toys, books, furniture, etc.
• They can also watch more videos from mathskills4kids.com to learn more about math concepts and skills.
• Congratulations on completing this lesson, and tell them you are proud of them.