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Understanding Change (Early Calculus)

Lesson 1: What Changed?

  • Story: Tanya and Max eat breakfast — bowls go from full to empty.

  • Objective: Understand that things change over time.

  • Activity: Spot the differences between two scenes.
     

Lesson 2: Morning to Night

  • Story: A day in Tanya’s life — morning to night.

  • Objective: Learn that time moves in order (sequence).

  • Activity: Cut-and-paste images in the correct daily order.
     

Lesson 3: Grow, Grow, Grow!

  • Story: Max plants a sunflower and watches it grow.

  • Objective: Observe growth and change over time.

  • Activity: Draw four stages of the sunflower.|
     

Lesson 4: Things That Repeat

  • Story: Tanya jumps rope — jump, land, jump, land...

  • Objective: Recognize repeating patterns (a foundation for functions).

  • Activity: Complete patterns using colors, shapes, or objects.
     

Lesson 5: Steps and Sequences

  • Story: Tanya bakes cookies — mix → scoop → bake → eat.

  • Objective: Understand processes and ordered steps.

  • Activity: Arrange step cards in sequence.
     

Lesson 6: Max’s Messy Bowl

  • Story: Max spills food; Tanya helps clean up.

  • Objective: Explore before/after and cause/effect.

  • Activity: Circle what changed and explain why.
     

Lesson 7: Up, Up, Up!

  • Story: Tanya lets go of a balloon.

  • Objective: Understand motion and change in position.

  • Activity: Draw three balloon positions as it rises.
     

Lesson 8: Count the Change

  • Story: Max eats 3 cookies. Tanya eats 1.

  • Objective: Visual subtraction using a real-world example.

  • Activity: Use counters/tokens to show change in quantity.
     

Lesson 9: Change in Nature

  • Story: A tree through the seasons — leaves green, orange, gone, blooming.

  • Objective: Understand natural patterns and time progression.

  • Activity: Match tree images to seasons.
     

Lesson 10: Let’s Talk About Change

  • Story: Tanya shares her week with the class.

  • Objective: Reflect on change and apply the idea.

  • Activity: Draw or write about something that changed recently.

Example: Lesson 1: What Changed?

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