Mathematics

Using Children's Literature To Teach Mathematics K-6
Table of Contents:

Introduction                                                                                        p. iii
Why Use Children's Literature to Teach Mathematics?

How Can I Find Children’s Literature that Focuses on a Specific Mathematical Concept?

Can Children's Literature Introduce and Reinforce Mathematical Vocabulary?

 Michigan Department of Education Mathematics                                 p. v
Curriculum Framework
Outline of Major Strands and Content

Standards Strand I Patterns, Relationships and Functions                 p. 1
Children’s Literature that Contains Concepts Related to Strand I

Strand II Geometry and Measurement                                               p. 17
Children's Literature that Contains Concepts Related to Strand II

Strand III Data Analysis and Statistics                                              p. 65
Children’s Literature that Contains Concepts Related to Strand III

Strand IV Number Sense and Numeration                                          p. 80
Children's Literature that Contains Concepts Related to Strand IV

Strand V Numerical and Algebraic Operations and                          p. 124
Analytical Thinking
Children’s Literature that Contains Concepts Related to Strand V

Strand VI Probability and Discrete Mathematics                              p. 174
Children’s Literature that Contains Concepts Related to Strand VI

Appendix A                                                                                        p. 188
Books Listed by Title

Appendix B                                                                                        p. 192
Books Listed by Author

Appendix C                                                                                         p. 196
Books Listed by Strand

Appendix D                                                                                        p. 200
Complete copy of the Michigan Content Standards and Draft Benchmarks

 Appendix E                                                                                        p. 202
Michigan Curriculum Framework, Strands, Standards and Benchmarks for Mathematics

Appendix F                                                                                        p. 222
Books for Teachers, MI CLiMB, Internet and other Resources

Strand I Patterns, Relationships and Functions
Title: The Button Box
Author: Margarette S. Reid, Illustrated by Sarah Chamberlain
Publisher: Dutton children's Books, Copyright 1990, ISBN 0-525-44590-0
Level: Preschool - Grade 1
Correlation to Michigan Curriculum Framework: Strand I - Patterns, Relationships and Functions
Content Standard 1: Students recognize similarities and generalize patterns, use patterns to create models and make predictions, describe the nature of patterns and relationships, and construct representations of mathematical relationships. (Patterns)
Elementary Benchmark 3: Use patterns to describe real-world phenomena.
About the Book: "When does little change to big? I can never tell," says the little boy in the book as he sorts and arranges the colorful buttons from his grandmother’s button box. He and his grandmother not only sort by size, but also look at other characteristics of the many buttons such as size and function. The illustrations are very colorful and the language lyrical as a read-aloud for the young child. This may bring nice memories to the adult reader as well as ideas of activities to do with young children.

Mathematical Vocabulary Words: first, sort, four, two

Instructional Examples from MI CLiMB
Students should engage in activities such as these.
Mathematics/Strand I/Content Standard 1/Elementary/Benchmark

• Identify patterns and regularity in the environment, in actions and events (e.g., quilt patterns, symmetry in leaves, border designs, fabric patterns, calendars, sequence of events, days of the week).
• Use a hundreds chart to describe number relationships by circling or coloring patterns.
• Diagonal is add eleven
• Across is add one
• Down is add ten

• Use a calendar to establish odd even patterns or regularity patterns (chess club meets the second Wednesday of each month).
• Create or recognize patterns in different ways using multiplication tables, calendars and people.
• Explore and observe number patterns
• Play "I spy a pattern." Someone says "I spy a pattern on Julie." Students guess the pattern (e.g., stripes, plaids, flowers on her shirt or pants)
• Teacher silently sorts students into two groups using one visible attribute, then students guess attribute.
  

Mathematical Vocabulary Words: square*, diagonal*, triangle*, circle*, rectangle*, hexagon* *Vocabulary words listed in The Michigan Essential Goals and Objectives in Mathematics Education.
Related Activities: Have children look for shapes and patterns in things around them. Bring in quilts and quilting patterns. Have them make shapes to fit together either with paper or fabric.
Instructional Examples from MI CLiMB: .

• Trace shapes and their images after sliding (translating), flipping (reflecting), and turning (rotating) them.
• Dissect irregular shapes into familiar geometric shapes. This might be done with paper and scissors, paper and pencil, or on a geoboard. In later grades, this activity can be used to help find areas of the irregular shapes.
• Discover symmetrical properties by paper folding or using reflective devices, and compare dissections to find lines of symmetry in nature (a snowflake) or geometric shapes.
• Explore with tangram pieces the possible arrangements of pieces that form other geometric shapes.
• Combine 5 squares to find all possible pentomino configurations

Mathematical Vocabulary Words: count, tallies,
Instructional Example from MI CLiMB
Students should engage in activities such as these.

• Pose their own questions related in their interests and activities.
• Younger students could ask questions about favorite colors, authors, ice cream flavors, or cartoons. Other examples are, How many pockets are you wearing today? How can we graph our rock collections?
• Older students could develop questions related to their surroundings. Do automobiles stop at signs near school? Do students use crosswalks? How much taller are 4th graders than 3rd graders? What is the average number of raisins found in a mini-box of raisins?
• Gather data through sorting, counting, and measuring.

[NOTE: Initially teachers may need to pose the questions which can be answered by collecting, organizing, and presenting data.]

  Strand IV Number Sense and Numeration
Title:  The Grapes of Math
Author:  Greg Tang, Illustrated by Harry Briggs
Publisher:  Scholastic Press, 2001, ISBN 0-439-21033-X
Correlation to Michigan Curriculum Framework:  Strand IV.  Number Sense and Numeration
Content Standard 1: Students experience counting and measuring activities to develop intuitive sense about numbers, develop understanding about properties of numbers, understand the need for and existence of different sets of numbers, and investigate properties of special numbers. (Concepts and Properties of Numbers)
Elementary Benchmark 1: Develop an understanding of whole numbers and read, write and count using whole numbers; investigate basic concepts of fractions and decimals.
About the Book: Mr. Tang believes that all children can learn math and have fun with it. Using delightful, color pictures he poetically presents a challenge for the reader to count the pictures as quickly as possible using other than one to one counting. As part of each poem he gives a clue of how to look at the configurations. At the end of the book are explanations of the strategies used to get to the solutions. The author wants the reader to be open-minded about math and to think strategically by finding sums to make adding easier. This saves time and gives practice in organizing information to use it more efficiently.
Mathematical Words: counting, square, add, group by…, subtract, double, pair
Strand V. Numerical and Algebraic Operations and Analytical 
Thinking Content Standard 2: Students analyze problems to determine an appropriate process notation to model or represent problems. (Algebraic and Analytic Thinking) Elementary Benchmark 4: Use analytic thinking to describe situations and solve problems.
Related Activities: This book can be used with a group, having different children explain how they get to a solution. This not only stimulates thinking strategies but provides language experiences in their explanations. Some children may be able to use multiplication as well as addition and subtraction to facilitate solving the problem.

Instructional Examples from MI CLiMB
Students should engage in activities such as these.

• Explain their solution process verbally or in writing.
• List the step to determine the number and kind of coins possible if you have 50 cents.
• Explore functions and mathematical relationships.
• What happens to the total number of wheels if we double the number of bicycles?
• Work with a calculator to discover the rule.
• With a partner, the first person puts in a number and then passes the calculator to the other person who enters a rule (+7), presses =, and returns the calculator to the first person, who must identify the rule.
• Use a set of digits and any operations to write equations to equal a target number.

Target number is 25

Possible answers:
10 X 3-5 (3 x 5) +10

• Analyze problems to determine the operation and the best combination of numbers to solve the problem.

• Explain their solution process verbally or in writing.
• List the step to determine the number and kind of coins possible if you have 50 cents.
• Explore functions and mathematical relationships. What happens to the total number of wheels if we double the number of bicycles. Work with a calculator to discover the rule.
• With a partner, the first person puts in a number and then passes the calculator to the other person who enters a rule (+7), presses =, and returns the calculator to the first person who must identify the rule.
• Use a set of digits and any operations to write equations to equal a target number.

• placed above, it makes greater things small.
• placed beside, it makes small things greater.
• in matters that count, it always comes first.
• where others increase, it keeps all things the same. What Is It?

• Solve problems with multiple solutions. For example, using only pennies, nickels, and dimes, in how many ways can you make change for 25 cents?
• Discuss a best solution to problems such as dividing things of different values fairly or planning efficient routes.
• Justify their thinking as a way of clarifying their reasoning by answering questions such as: Why? How do you know? What makes you think that?
• Organizing a complex task and sequencing events so all components get done on time.
• Coloring maps/drawing with fewest colors so regions sharing boundaries do not use same color (minimize conflicts).