Mathematics · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Ordering Events: First, Next, and Last

Active learning turns abstract sequencing into tangible understanding. When students manipulate pictures, act out steps, and build timelines, they internalize first, next, and last as physical actions before committing them to words. These hands-on experiences make order visible and allow repeated practice without worksheets or rote memorization.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9M7N06

• 20–35 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 25 min · Pairs

Picture Card Sort: Morning Routine

Print six picture cards showing a child's morning: wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth, pack bag, go to school. In pairs, students sort cards into first, next, last, then retell the sequence orally. Extend by drawing their own routine.

What happens first in this story , can you point to the picture?

Facilitation Tip

During Picture Card Sort: Morning Routine, circulate and ask each pair, ‘Why did you put brushing teeth before putting on shoes?’ to press for reasoning.

What to look for

Show students a set of three picture cards depicting a simple routine (e.g., planting a seed: putting seed in soil, watering, seed sprouting). Ask: 'What happened first?' 'What happened next?' 'What happened last?' Observe their responses and ability to point to the correct pictures.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Role Play
• 35 min · Small Groups

Role-Play Sequence: Planting Seeds

Model planting seeds: first dig hole, next put seed in, last water it. Small groups act out with props, then switch roles to sequence a different activity like making a sandwich. Record sequences on chart paper for class share.

Can you tell me what happened next after the seeds were planted?

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play Sequence: Planting Seeds, freeze the action after each step and have students name the step aloud before continuing.

What to look for

Provide students with a worksheet showing three boxes labeled 'First', 'Next', and 'Last'. Give them three small pictures of a daily activity (e.g., getting dressed). Ask them to cut out the pictures and glue them into the correct boxes to show the order.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 30 min · Whole Class

Daily Timeline: Our School Day

Draw a class timeline on the board. Whole class brainstorms and places sticky notes for first (arrival), next (literacy), last (home time) events. Students add drawings to personalize.

What did we do last in our day today?

Facilitation Tip

During Daily Timeline: Our School Day, provide blank cards so students can add personal events that weren’t already listed.

What to look for

Gather students in a circle and ask them to share one thing they did 'first' this morning, one thing they did 'next', and one thing they did 'last' before coming to school. Encourage them to use the vocabulary words and listen to their peers' sequences.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Role Play
• 20 min · Individual

Personal Story Strip: Recess Fun

Students draw three panels individually: first (line up), next (play), last (line up again). Share with partner, using first, next, last to describe.

What happens first in this story , can you point to the picture?

Facilitation Tip

During Personal Story Strip: Recess Fun, encourage students to draw arrows or write tiny words on their strips to reinforce direction and vocabulary.

What to look for

Show students a set of three picture cards depicting a simple routine (e.g., planting a seed: putting seed in soil, watering, seed sprouting). Ask: 'What happened first?' 'What happened next?' 'What happened last?' Observe their responses and ability to point to the correct pictures.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers begin with concrete, child-centered contexts like morning routines and recess because these are familiar and meaningful. Avoid starting with abstract pictures that don’t connect to lived experience, as this can confuse sequencing with simultaneous details. Research shows that repeated, multimodal practice—touching, moving, speaking, drawing—builds stronger neural pathways for temporal reasoning than verbal instruction alone. Keep the language load low at first; focus on the action, then layer in the words.

Successful learners will confidently sequence three events using first, next, and last within familiar routines or stories. They will explain their choices and correct peers’ errors when the order does not make logical sense. Mastery shows as automatic use of vocabulary during both planned activities and spontaneous conversation.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Picture Card Sort: Morning Routine, watch for students who arrange cards based on color or object size rather than logical order.

  Prompt them to act out the routine with you: ‘Does putting on socks really come before putting on shoes?’ Guide them to physically re-enact each step before resorting the cards.

• During Role-Play Sequence: Planting Seeds, watch for students who treat ‘next’ as the final event when the teacher says ‘next step’ after each action.

  Pause the role-play and ask, ‘Is this the very last thing we do when planting seeds?’ Have them list all steps aloud to reinforce that ‘next’ means the step after the current one, not the end.

• During Daily Timeline: Our School Day, watch for students who skip steps or place events out of order because they focus only on the most visually striking picture.

  Model scanning the entire timeline left to right and ask, ‘What happened right after story time?’ Have them point and verbalize each transition before moving on.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play