By Britnie Jones

In this lesson students will learn when to use the signs for greater than and less than by relating them to “Al the Alligator,” and by relating numbers to amounts of candy bars.

Materials Chalk Chalkboard Al the Alligator (can be made out of construction paper) Candy Bars

Introduction Talk to students about the signs. Explain that this sign is greater than >. And this sign is less than <. Explain to the class that you can look at these signs like mouths. The mouth is always going to want to point to the highest number. Have your students then look at a problem and try using this technique.

Student Related Lesson Have the class think of their favorite candy bar. Have a few of the students tell you what their favorite candy bar is. Then ask them if they would prefer 24 snicker bars or 36. Have the mouth point towards the higher number. Like this..24 < 36. Now have them read the sentence: 24 is less than 36. Try the opposite of the above problem, i.e. 72 > 34 If the sign is the other way and the mouth is pointing this way > then the kids know that the first number is the largest number. Have the mouth point towards the higher number. Seventy-two is greater than thirty-four. Practicing this a few times and then give them the practice problems.

This activity uses equality signs to compare numbers and tell which number is larger, smaller, or equal to. It will also help with place value, reading and writing larger numbers, and comparing numbers.

Materials 3 Pieces of Tag Board White/light Colored Construction Paper Black Sharpie Black or Dark Colored Crayons Scissors

Activity Decide what value of number you want the students to work on ( Thousand, Millions or Billions) Give each student a sheet of construction paper. Have them write a number on the paper as and to write it big enough for people to see it. You take the tag board and write the 3 signs >, <, =. one on each. Choose two students to come to the front of the class and display their numbers by standing in front holding their construction paper. The class as a whole reads the numbers out loud. You assign another students with the 3 signs. That student goes up and stands between the other two students. This student shows one of the signs and the class discuss if it is correct or not and continue to discuss until the correct sign is found. Once the sign chosen is correct the class again read the two numbers this time with the correct sign. For example 345,643 > 342,345.

Students will create and use their own <>"monsters" to demonstrate the concept of less than and greater than.

Materials A < Shape Cut Out of a Sturdy Material (manilla folder, etc.) Drawing Utensils -- Colored pencils, Crayons, etc. Construction Paper Glue The Book The Hungry Thing

Procedure Students will make a <> "monster“ using construction paper to make teeth, crayons, colored pencils, etc. to draw features on their <> monsters. The teacher will read the story "The Hungry Thing". Students and teacher will discuss how the very hungry thing likes to eat; if he were given the opportunity to each 3 cookies or 8 cookies, the monster would rather eat the largest number of cookies, 8. The teacher will pass out a few beans, pieces of pasta, etc. to each student. Students will then place 3 items on the left and 8 items on the right and decide with way the "monster" should face. The teacher can direct students to put different numbers of items on their desks and have the students decide which way their "monster" should face.