Fishy Game - beginning addition and subtraction with fish crackers or popcorn.
From Patterns in Arithmetic:Book 1 - Parent/Teacher Guide Page37
Purpose
To add and subtract with edible manipulatives. To make and verify story problems by doing them with concrete objects.
Prerequisites
Counting, one-to-one correspondence.
Materials
Paper towel, Pepperidge Farm Fish Crackers (or popcorn or any other small cracker in animal shapes), clean hands.
Lesson
Each student is given the same number of fish crackers on a paper towel. Each person holds up one hand that is to be the ocean. The fish are left on the paper towel.
Dialogues are taken from actual conversations with students.
A dialogue like this may follow:
"In the ocean there were three fish."
[Put three fish in the ocean from the paper towel.]
Look around to see if each student has three fish in her hand.
Allow the student to figure out what is wrong. Do not tell her what to do if she has the incorrect amount.
"The three friends were having a good time playing leap fish." [Pause to play leap fish.] "Along came two more fish and asked if they could play too." [Two more fish are added to the ocean.]
"Along came two more fish and asked if they could play too."
[Two more fish are added to the ocean.]
"How many fish in the ocean now?" "Five."
"The five friends were having so much fun that they didn't notice
an octopus creeping up toward them. Just in time one of the fish saw the
octopus and warned the other fish. But one fish was too slow to hide in
a cave and the octopus ate it."
[Eat one fish.]
"How many fish are left?" "Four."
"The fish who hid in the cave didn't know that a moray eel lived
in the cave,
so two more fish were eaten."
[Everyone eats two fish.]
"How many fish are left?" "Two."
"Would you like to continue the story?"
Variations
After the first few lessons if you are playing with several students, start the lesson a new way. Each student is given a small handful of fish crackers on a paper towel. Each student is asked to count the number of fish on the napkin. Ask, "Who has the most amount of fish? Who has the least amount of fish?" If eleven is the most amount of fish, each student is asked how many fish are needed to have eleven fish. Ask the people who have eleven also, because zero more is an amount. If students are asked about zero amounts, they learn that zero is an important number. Students often think it is funny that you ask about zero and adding humor to any lesson makes it more fun for everyone. In a lighthearted atmosphere there is more exploring and freedom of thinking. After a story, record it in pictures. Figure out ways to show the eaten fish.
Test for Understanding
The student can successfully add and take away the correct amount of fish.
Fishy Game: Recording Number Sentences
Purpose
To add and subtract with edible manipulatives. To record a number sentence.
Prerequisites
Counting, one-to-one correspondence, Fishy Game played many times.
Materials
Napkin or plate, Pepperidge Farm Fish Crackers (or popcorn, Teddy Bears, dinosaur shaped crackers), a work board, a scratch sheet of paper for recording, and clean hands.
Lesson
Each student is given a small handful of fish crackers on a napkin or
plate and a r
ecording paper.
"There are four fish in the ocean."
(Four fish are put into the hand from the napkin.) Ask, "What number do you write down?" Answer, "Four." "Why four?"
"Because that is the number of fish in the ocean."
Record the numeral four together on the recording paper. These questions are asked because it is important to be sure the student understands why four is written down. Your response will vary according to what the student says.
"Three more fish came and played basketball."
(Three fish are put into the hand from the napkin.) "Now what do you write down?" "Plus three."
Record on the recording paper + 3. If plus hasn't been discussed before, explain plus is the name for the "+" sign.
"How many fish all together?" "Seven."
"Do you remember the sign for equal?" 
If she does not know, show her the equal sign and then record = 7.
"How many fish are in your ocean now?" "Seven." "Write that on a new line because we're starting a new problem."
Record 7 on the recording paper on a different line to start the next
numb
er sentence.
"A shark came and ate five of them." Eat five of the fish from the hand (ocean).
"How do you write down that five fish are eaten?" "Take
away five." Record - 5 on the recording paper. If the student has never
recorded a subtraction problem, show her how to record it.
"What do you write next? How many fish are left?" "Equals two." Record this.
Ask, "Now what happens? You make up the next part."
Again write two on the next line and continue the story. More fish can be added from the napkin or fish can be taken away until there are zero fish left. Then start a new story. Continue making up stories and recording until there are no more fish left.
Test for Understanding
The student successfully adds and takes away the correct amount of fish and writes a number sentence that matches the physical action.
Time Span
This lesson should be repeated many times throughout the year.