Two ways to count to ten by Ruby Dee:

    This story is about all the animals in the animal kingdom living together in harmony.  One day the Leopard King decided that he needs to be prepared with a successor for when he steps down as king so he calls a large gathering of the animals to see who will take his place and also marry his daughter.  He decides there will be a contest and the first person who can throw a spear up into the air and count to ten before it lands on the ground will win the contest and will be the next king.  All of the animals tried their hardest and threw it as high as they could, but none of them could reach ten before it fell.  Then out of the crowd comes a skinny little antelope and he asks for his turn.  The crowd laughs because all of the animals including the mighty lion have failed so far.  As the antelope threw the spear into the air he counted, “Two, four, six, eight, ten.”  When the spear fell everyone was astonished and laughed because he had not counted by ones.  The King then pointed out that he did not say how you had to count to ten.  The antelope won the contest and he became the new King of the jungle. 

    For this book I would have all of the students choose a number of their choice but it has to be above the number 25.  After they have choose their number I would have them on poster board create a poster the shows all of the different ways they can count to their number.  This can be by ones, two’s three’s, five’s, or however they choose to count it.  After they create their poster then we will display them in the classroom for all to see the many ways to count to a number.