Ask Them, "What are the odd numbers?" See who can respond: 1,3,5,7,9, 11....

Then Ask, "What are the even numbers?" See if they come up with: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 ....

In Partner Pairs have them count. One child does the odd numbers, one child does the even numbers. Introduce/Reinforce the vocabulary "Alternating", "Every Other" "Skip Counting", "Counting by Twos" to explain what they are doing.

Demonstrate the concept that even numbers are called that because they can be split evenly into two groups (are divisible by two) and odd numbers are odd because when they are separated (divided) into 2 two equal groups there is always one left over.

Using crayons, legos, or paperclips etc. grab a handful and separate them. 1 on the left, 1 on the right, alternating until you run out of the objects in your hand. If, for example, you have 4 on on the left and 4 on the right, the piles are the same (equal) and there are no left overs and that means you have an even number of the object. If the piles are not the same (equal); for example you have 5 on the left and 4 on the right, you have an odd number of objects.

Now have the students partner up and ask them to grab a handful of the objects and separate them. They should count the number of objects in each pile and write the numbers on a piece of paper/white board. If the partners have two groups that are unequal (for example one group is 5 and one group is 4, have them make that a number sentence by adding a + sign between the two numbers and an = sign and ask them to solve for 9 which is an ODD number. Then the other partner can grab a handful and repeat the separating.

However, if the partners separate their objects into two even piles of 4 each, they would write 4 on one side and 4 on the other with a + sign and and = sign to get the numerical equation 4 + 4 = which they could solve for 8 which is an EVEN number. You could then point out that 2 groups of 4 makes (equals) 8 which is also shown in the number sentence 2 x 4 = 8. Furthermore, 8 separated into 2 groups (divided by 2) makes (equals) 4 and write out that number sentence 8 / 2 = 4 . Emphasize that this is how to tell if a number is even or odd: by separating into 2 even groups (whole numbers only)

Each student will need a calculator.

Ask, "If you add two even numbers together, do you always get an even number, an odd number or can you get either depending on the numbers used?" Let them play around with numbers and come up with the right answer: Always EVEN.

Ask, "If you add two odd numbers together, do you always get an even number, an odd number or can you get either depending on the numbers used?" Let them play around with numbers and come up with the right answer: Always EVEN.

Ask, "If you add an even number and an odd number together, do you always get an even number, an odd number, or can you get either depending on the numbers used?" Let them play around with numbers and come up with the right answer: Always ODD.

Now ask the same three questions but multiply the numbers. Let the students use their calculators to determine that:

Any two even numbers multiplied together will always get an EVEN number

Any two odd numbers multiplied together will always get an ODD number

Any even number multiplied by an odd number will always get an EVEN number

CHALLENGE! Positive and Negative Numbers.

Have the students use their calculators to determine what happens when multiplying positive and negative numbers together.

Multiplying any two positive numbers always makes a positive number.

Multiplying any two negative numbers always makes a positive number.

Multiplying any positive number and any negative number always makes a negative number