Are you wondering what does odd and even mean and how to teach the skill to students? This skill is more than just memorizing rules, it is about understanding what it means to have an even or odd number. In addition, what are some books, songs, and activities that can be used to teach this skill?
Students who feel successful in math class are happier and more engaged in learning. Check out The Bonus Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys for students to use in your classroom to cultivate a positive classroom community in mathematics. You can also sign up for other freebies from me Here at Easternshoremathteacher.com.
Teaching odd and even seems like a simple skill, but students need to develop a conceptual understanding what it means. This means not just teaching students that odd numbers end in a 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and even numbers end in 0,2,4,6,8. I like to have students use counters to model breaking the objects into pairs and determining if they have leftovers or not. Then, introducing the terms odd and even to them. Finally, relating it all to doubles addition facts to determine if it is an even number. I like to start with numbers to 20, and then eventually extend their learning to numbers beyond once they have an understanding of even and odd numbers.
What Does Odd And Even Mean?
An even number can always be broken into pairs with no leftovers.
An odd number will always have one leftover that cannot be paired with another object.
Odd and Even Rules
An even number can be broken into two equal addends- doubles.
An odd number can never be represented with a doubles fact.
Even numbers end with 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 in the one’s place.
Odd numbers end with 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 in the one’s place.
How to Explain Even and Odd Numbers
Students develop an understanding of even and odd numbers by using concrete materials to determine if a number can be broken into two parts, with the same number of objects in each part, or by pairing objects and looking to see if there are leftovers (odd) or not (even).
They make connections from concrete materials to pictures and later relate this concept to the doubles addition facts.
How to Teach Even and Odd Numbers
Teachers pose situations that allow students to explore whether a number of objects (up to 20) can be decomposed into pairs of two with or without a leftover.
When students are ready, they can answer similar questions using drawings rather than objects.
Students are introduced to the terms “odd” and “even” and are given opportunities to identify an odd or even number of objects.
After using concrete materials and pictures to explore whether numbers can be divided into groups of 2 with none left over, students can connect even numbers to doubles facts.
Eventually, extend the understanding of even and odd numbers by identifying if a number is even or odd for numbers to 20.
Grade 2 Standard
2.OA.C.3 Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, e.g, by pairing objects or counting them by 2s, write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.
Even And Odd Activities
Line up your students by twos. If you really have an odd number of children in the class, one of your students will not have a partner, leaving someone as the “odd man out.” In an even number, everyone gets a buddy. In an odd number, one person is left without a buddy.
Worksheet For Odd And Even Numbers
Teach Odd and Even with these 20 Google Slides and 20 Printable even and odd worksheets. Use the movable pieces on the Google Slides or print and use them as worksheets to teach even and odd numbers. Easy and fun, even and odd activities. Even and Odd Digital and Print Resources.
Even And Odd Games
- Number Ninja- Odd and Even Numbers
- Even or Odd with Dice- Have 2 students roll 1 or 2 dice. Then, have them model the number with cubes, and determine if they have an odd or even amount. One student can get a point for even numbers, and the other students for odd numbers.
Activities With Technology
Teach Odd and Even with these 20 Google Slides and 20 Printable even and odd worksheets. Use the movable pieces on the Google Slides to create a model of an even or odd number. Easy and fun, even and odd activities. Even and Odd Digital and Print Resources.
Songs About Even and Odd
- Even and Odd Numbers Song for Kids
- Count by Odd Numbers & Exercise by Jack Hartmann
- I Can Count By 2’s From Any Even Number by Jack Hartmann
Lesson Plan Ideas
Using Literature
- Even Steven and Odd Todd by Kathryn Cristaldi is about Steven, who likes everything to be even, and Todd, who likes everything to be odd. How will they get along? Additional activities are listed in the back of the book.
- Missing Mittens by Stuart Murphy is about missing mittens and if the farmer has an odd or even amount of mittens. Additional information to teach even and odd n is listed in the back of the book. Students can divide a piece of paper in half and draw an odd and even number of mittens.
- If you were an Even Number by Marcie Aboff is all about being an even number. Students could create their own book of even numbers and try a model to show the even number of objects.
Even And Odd Numbers
Start by modeling objects in groups of two or in two groups. Then, use pictures of objects to transition to a pictorial representation of even and odd. Then, relate doubles facts to even and off numbers. Eventually, students will begin to extend their learning to numbers beyond 20.
Check out The Bonus Guide for Creating a Growth Mindset Classroom and Students Who Love Math for ideas, lessons, and mindset surveys for students to use in your classroom to cultivate a growth mindset in mathematics. You can also sign up for other freebies from me Here at Easternshoremathteacher.com.
Using math manipulatives, books, songs, and technology resources will help students understand what does odd and even mean and build their conceptual understanding of the skill.
