Exploring Mathematics Through Literature

1
Exploring MathematicsThrough Literature

• Beth Skipper
• Teaching Children Mathematics Journal Editor
• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
• Reston, Virginia

2
Todays Agenda

• Why and how to use literature In mathematics
• A sampling of math and literature ideas
• Idea share
• Wrap-up

3
Content Literacy

• The ability to use reading and writing for the
  acquisition of new content in a given
  discipline.
• McKenna and Robinson

4
Content Literacy

• The focus on having students learn information
  greatly influences the classroom model that many
  content area teachers develop. Some become
  dispensers of knowledge, while others integrate
  storytelling, and projects, and orchestrate
  activities.
• Laura Robb

5
Content Literacy

• The focus on having students learn information
  greatly influences the classroom model that many
  content area teachers develop. Some become
  dispensers of knowledge, while others integrate
  storytelling, and projects, and orchestrate
  activities, but in a manner that does not deepen
  student understanding of the content. Laura
  Robb

6
NCTM Vision for School Mathematics
The full text of the document is available to
NCTM members at http//standards.nctm.org Non-mem
bers can register for 120-dayfree access!
7
Why Use Literature in Math?

• Adults can foster childrens mathematical
  development by providing environments rich in
  language, where thinking is encouraged,
  uniqueness is valued, and exploration is
  supported.
• Principles and Standards for School Mathematics,
  page 74

8
Why use Literature in Math?

• When students can connect mathematical ideas,
  their understanding is deeper and more lasting.
  They can see mathematical connections in the rich
  interplay among mathematical topics, in contexts
  that relate mathematics to other subjects, and in
  their own interests and experience.
• NCTM PSSM pg 64

9
Categories

• Counting Books
• Number Books
• Storybooks
• Concept Books

Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
10
Instructional Strategies
11
Additional NCTM Resources
New Visions for Linking Literature and
Mathematics Product Details Stock 12777 List
Price 33.95 Member Price 27.16
12
Selection Criteria

• Mathematical integrity
• Potential for varied response
• An aesthetic dimension
• Racial, cultural, and gender inclusiveness

Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. (2004). New visions
for linking literature and mathematics. Urbana,
IL National Council of Teachers of English
National Council Teachers of Mathematics.
13
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
14
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
15
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
16
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
17
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
18
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
19
Evaluating Trade books
Hellwig, S. J., Monroe, E. E., Jacobs, J. S.
(2000, November). Making informed choices
Selecting childrens trade books for mathematics
instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7,
138-143.
20
Why Use Literature in Math?
21
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

• Author
• April Pulley Sayre
• Illustrator
• Randy Cecil
• Standards Addressed
• Number and Operations
• Problem Solving

Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. 2009, September.
Links to literature Legs and more legs.
Teaching children mathematics, 17, 80-89.
22
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

• Materials
• Paper, pencil and crayons
• Task
• I see 30 legs. Some of the legs belong to
  people and some of the legs belong to crabs. How
  many people and crabs do I see?

Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. 2009, September.
Links to literature Legs and more legs.
Teaching children mathematics, 17, 80-89.
23
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
24
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

• As I was scuba diving I looked down at the ocean
  floor. I counted 30 legs. Some of the legs
  belonged to crabs and some belonged to starfish.
  How many crabs and starfish did I see?

Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. 2009, September.
Links to literature Legs and more legs.
Teaching children mathematics, 17, 80-89.
25
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. 2009, September.
Links to literature Legs and more legs.
Teaching children mathematics, 17, 80-89.
26
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

• Students can make a list of several other
  creatures with different amounts of legs and come
  up with their own creative problems.

Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. 2009, September.
Links to literature Legs and more legs.
Teaching children mathematics, 17, 80-89.
27
One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
1 snail 2 person 3 person and a snail 4 dog 5 dog and a snail (or a starfish) 6 insect 7 insect and a snail 8 spider 9 spider and a snail 10 crab
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One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
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One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab
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One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

• Free resources from the author!
• http//www.aprilsayre.com/2008/08/28/one-is-a-sna
  il-worksheets/

Whitin, D. J., Whitin, P. 2009, September.
Links to literature Legs and more legs.
Teaching children mathematics, 17, 80-89.
31
Mailing May

• Author
• Michael O. Tunnell
• Illustrator
• Ted Rand
• Standard Addressed
• Number and Operations
• Category
• Storybook

Shih, J. C., Giorgis, C. (2204, February).
Building the mathematics and literature
connection through childrens responses.
Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 328-333.
32
Mailing May

• Discussion
• How long do you suppose it took the train to
  travel 75 miles to Mays grandmothers house?
• How much would it cost to mail May today?
• If Mays dad earned 1.55 per day, how much
  would he make in a week? A month? A year?

Shih, J. C., Giorgis, C. (2204, February).
Building the mathematics and literature
connection through childrens responses.
Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 328-333.
33
Mummy Math

• Author
• Cindy Neuschwander
• Illustrator
• Bryan Langdo
• Standard Addressed
• Geometry
• Category
• Concept book

34
Mummy Math

• Materials
• Real household solids such as soup cans, ice
  cream cones and boxes
• Task 1
• Students identify and name the solids that they
  read about in the story.
• Students name the solids that they brought from
  home then sort them according to attributes.

35
Mummy Math

• Materials
• Geometric nets (from Illuminations applet)
• Task 2
• Have students look at the geometric nets of
  various solids and see if they can figure out
  which solid they each represent.
• Use the nets to construct the figures.

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Mummy Math

• Examples of geometric nets

mathworld.wolfram.com/Prism.html
37
Mummy Math

• Create your own geometric nets using the
  Illuminations applet, Dynamic Paper.
• http//illuminations.nctm.org/

38
One Inch Tall

• Author
• Shel Silverstein
• Standard Addressed
• Measurement
• Category
• Poem

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One Inch Tall

• Task 1
• Discussion
• What obstacles might a person that is
  one-inch-tall face?
• What advantages might a one-inch-tall person have?

Forrest, K., Schnabel, D., Williams, M. E.
(2006, November). Math by month Mathematics and
literature, anyone? . Teaching children
mathematics, 13, 216-217.
40
One Inch Tall

• What does this poem have to do with ratio and
  proportion?
• Compare a one-inch-tall person to yourself. How
  many times taller are you?
• Name other objects that are proportionate to you
  and the one-inch-tall person.

Forrest, K., Schnabel, D., Williams, M. E.
(2006, November). Math by month Mathematics and
literature, anyone? . Teaching children
mathematics, 13, 216-217.
41
One Inch Tall

• Task 2
• Create and display a poster-size cut-out of a
  giant pencil on the classroom wall.
• Ask students what they might know about the
  person using this pencil.

42
One Inch Tall

• Discussion
• How tall was the person?
• How much might this person weigh?
• How big is his/her hand?
• How big would a proportional piece of notebook
  paper be?

43
One Inch Tall

• What other guiding questions could you ask
  students during the oversize pencil activity?

44
Arithme-Tickle An Even Number of Odd
Riddle-Rhymes

• Author
• Patrick Lewis
• Illustrator
• Frank Remkiewicz
• Standard Addressed
• Number and Operations
• Category
• Poem/Concept book

Shih, J. C., Giorgis, C. (2004, February).
Building the mathematics and literature
connection through childrens responses.
Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 328-333.
45
Arithme-Tickle An Even Number of Odd
Riddle-Rhymes

• Early One Morning
• The rooster crowed at 603,
• The pig got up at 815.
• What time did Farmer Ben awake?
• If he woke up halfway between
• The time the rooster and the pig
• Got out of bed? OopsI forgot!
• Ben waited 15 minutes more-
• Until he smelled the coffeepot!

Shih, J. C., Giorgis, C. (2004, February).
Building the mathematics and literature
connection through childrens responses.
Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 328-333.
46
Arithme-Tickle An Even Number of Odd
Riddle-Rhymes

• Activity
• Students solve the riddles on the various pages
  of the book.
• Own their own, students come up with their own
  riddles.
• Students share their riddles with a partner or
  with the entire class, giving others an
  opportunity to solve it!

Shih, J. C., Giorgis, C. (2004, February).
Building the mathematics and literature
connection through childrens responses.
Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 328-333.
47
Your Turn!

• Take a few minutes to come up with your own rhyme
  centered around concepts you are currently
  teaching your students. If you finish early,
  switch with a partner and solve! We will share
  aloud in 3 minutes!

Shih, J. C., Giorgis, C. (2004, February).
Building the mathematics and literature
connection through childrens responses.
Teaching Children Mathematics, 10, 328-333.
48
Illuminations Lessons and Units
Odd Man Out Trying Out Tangrams Baseball Geometry A Beautiful Rectangle Best Buy Magic Ten Egg Carton Designs An Army of Ants Bean Salad Making Tens
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Exploring Childrens Books
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Idea Share
51
The Important Book

• Author
• Margret Wise Brown
• Illustrator
• Leonard Weisgard
• Standards Addressed
• Communication
• Connections
• Category
• Storybook

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The Important Book

• The important thing about (a) ____________
• Is that __________.
• Its __________
• You __________
• You __________
• It isnt __________
• Its __________
• And it __________
• But the most important thing about a __________
• Is that _____________.

Brown, M. W. (1977). The important book. Harper
Collins Publishers.
53
The Important Book

• Discussion
• Use this discussion as a transition into the
  importance of a mathematics term or concept.

54
The Important Book

• Your turn!
• Come up with a rhyme using a format similar to
  the format used in The Important Book to describe
  the importance of using literature to teach math.
  We will share our results in 3-4 minutes!

55
Thanks!

• Thank you for all you do to help us achieve our
  goal!

56
Contact Information

• bskipper_at_nctm.org
• Bethsbookshelf.blogspot.com

1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA
20191-1502TEL [phone] FAX (703)
476-2970 www.nctm.org