Task 4 • It’s time for tea!

Review the number line from the previous task (showing the number of items on each group’s placemats) and each group’s checklist.

Revise: We compared the number of students in a group with the number of each tea party item on their placemat and wrote this in a group checklist. We found that the number of students in our group matched how many of each item we needed.

Prompt students to notice the connection between the placemats in their group and their group checklist by comparing the count with the numbers.

Ask:

• What do the numbers on the group checklists mean? What did you count?
• Which group has the biggest/smallest number? Why?
• What is the connection between the numbers on the group checklists and the numbers on the number line?

Show students the container of tea party items and explain that each group needs to collect the correct number of each tea party item for their group in preparation for the tea party.

Pose the task: We are going to use our group checklist to collect the items that our group needs to set our table for the tea party. 

Organise students into the same groups as in the previous task. The group checklists can be used as a reminder of the students in each group.

Provide each group with their group checklist from the previous task and a set of prepared Time for tea Item cards showing the name and picture of each tea party item.

In their groups, students estimate how many items their group will need altogether for the tea party. They record this number on a whiteboard.

In their groups and using their group checklists and placemats from the previous task:

1. Each student chooses one tea party item card based on the group checklist. When it is their turn, they will collect that item for their group.
2. One at a time, students select and count out the correct number of their item from the large collection and take it back to their group.
3. The group then checks the count as the tea party items are given to each group member and placed on their placemat.
4. Another student collects the tea party item on their card.
5. This process continues until all the tea party items have been allocated to the students.
6. The group counts and checks all the tea party items on their placemats.

Students then take turns to count all tea party items on their table and compare their estimation with the actual total they have found. 

Students share with the class how many items they counted and compare their number of items with other groups, using the language of enough, more than, same as, less than etc. Each group shares their whiteboard estimate.

Discuss:

• How did you estimate? How close was your estimate?
• How did you keep track of the count?
• Did the number of items change when you counted in a different way?
• How did you know how many items you had?

Ask: Each group has counted the items it needs to have a tea party. How can we find out the number of each item we need for the whole class to have a big tea party?

Have students sit in a circle and count the number of students in the class. Count in a different direction to demonstrate that the total number does not change when students are counted in a different order.

Record the final number counted on the board, to show that the last number counted indicates the whole count.

Connect the number of students to the number of objects needed for the tea party. For example, “There are 21 people in our class. We will need 21 cups. We will need 21 plates. We will need 21 napkins...”. 

Explain: We have kept track of the number of items we need for the whole class by counting each student once. Each student has one plate, one cup, one napkin... We have [21] students in our class so we need to have [21] plates, [21] cups, [21] napkins... The last number we count tells us how many are in the whole count. 

Invite students to select party food for themselves, or you can put it on each group table within reach. Encourage them to count to make sure they each have the same amount of tea party food. When students have what they need, let the party begin!

Take photos of each tea party group for students to discuss later, making sure to include:

• different groups of students at their tables.
• the placemats on each table which clearly show all tea party items.
• each student and their placemat of tea party items.
• placemats including party food.
• students distributing party food at their table.

After the tea party, these photos may provide prompts for counting activities or be used to activate prior knowledge.