Mathematics Unit #1

Lesson Title:

Stories That Really Add Up: Exploring Ways In Which Children’s Stories Can Be Used to Teach Math

In this lesson, students work in groups to develop math lessons for other students that come from a popular children’s story.

§ Consider ways in which the story “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” can be used to teach math concepts.

§ Explore how a traveling children’s museum exhibit uses children’s stories to teach math lessons by reading and discussing “Family Fare: Great Books to Count On”.

§ Develop math lesson plans that use “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” as a springboard to teaching basic concepts.

· 1.1 Use letters, boxes, or other symbols to stand for any number in simple expressions or equations (e.g., demonstrate an understanding and the use of the concept of a variable).

· 1.2 Identify the mode(s) for sets of categorical data and the mode(s), median, and any apparent outliers for numerical data sets.

o Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.

o Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.

o Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.

· 3.0 Students will understand how to solve problems through teaching and learning. Students will develop and implement a teaching-learning program.

Introduce the learning module by discussing the objectives. Read “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” and then watch the video.

Discuss the story in detail and have students use the following Think Sheet to brain storm their thoughts.

In your team, take a piece of paper and fold it in half. On one side, write: Math Concepts in

The paper should have two columns and two headings. Talk within your team and discuss the story.

Begin to list all of the possible math concepts presented in the story. Make a list of these ideas on a separate sheet of notebook paper. Begin to narrow the list to at least 3 to 5 math concepts.

For each of these concepts, write an example from the story that explains how it was taught. Review the team's list. Select the best three math concepts you found in the story and list them with their examples on the paper with the headings.

As a class, read and discuss, “Family Fare: Great Books to Count On”. Students will then discuss the article and brainstorm answers to the following questions in their groups:

§ What children’s stories are involved in the “Go Figure!” exhibit and what math concepts do the related exhibits teach, according to the article?

§ Do you agree with Maxwell Felder’s statements that “if there’s one thing adults are afraid of more than kids are it is math”? Why or why not?

§ What other exhibit is currently at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and what is special about it?

Each team has selected a California Academic Content Standard. The teams and standards are:

Each team should study their concept and have a thorough understanding, before developing a lesson plan that teaches the concept to another group.

The first step is to locate your standard in your math textbook and read examples of the concept.

Next, in your group, complete exercises in your textbook that relate to the standard.

Then, go to the Internet and search for lessons, activities, and games that teach your math concept.

Each website that you and your team find to be useful in helping you to learn and practice your concept should be saved. Bookmark the website and then add it to your ikeepbookmarks.com account for math.

After you have at least 5 – 10 links for your math concept, print your ikeepbookmarks.com page and keep it in your folder.

§ In one sentence, what is the objective of your lesson? In other words, what do you want students to learn? (The sentence should begin, “In this lesson, students will learn . . . )

§ What prior knowledge will students need to know before this lesson can be taught? What math concepts will they need to know in order to learn this new concept?

§ How will you use “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” to teach this math concept?

§ What visual aids or manipulatives (items that students can manipulate with their own hands, like rulers or player cards) do you need in order to develop and teach this lesson?

§ How will you know if students understand the concept? Do you need to create a test or will students demonstrate their understanding through some different method or methods?

§ What problems can you anticipate in using this lesson to teach this concept and how might you eliminate those obstacles before or while teaching the lesson?

Now you are ready to develop a list of materials you will need, if any, in order to teach this lesson.

When you have all of your materials. You are ready to practice your math lesson.

Each team that you teach will evaluate you. The “student” group members evaluate the lesson based on accuracy and clarity of information, usefulness of visual aids and manipulatives, successful problem creation, creativity and other elements that might be assessed.

§ Why do you think math is such an intimidating topic to so many people? How does math make you feel?

§ What different types of children’s stories can you name? What differences exist among these types of stories?

§ What are some common themes of children’s stories? What lessons do these stories hope to relay?

§ What purposes do children’s stories serve in different cultures around the world?

§ What is your favorite or most successful way to learn? Do you learn best by seeing, hearing or doing?

Results Presentation

Students will be evaluated based on participation in class discussions and activities, thoughtful participation in the group development of math lessons stemming from “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”.

Our culminating activity will be to explore the differences that exist among fairy tales, folk tales, legends and fables? Students will define each term and then find an example of each that they feel epitomizes that type of children’s story. For each story, they will write a paragraph or two explaining why the story is a perfect example of the story type. Each entry will be combined to create a class book.

(This lesson plan was originally written by Alison Zimbalist, The New York Times Learning Network and Javaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City. It was modified and adapted for use in a 4^th grade classroom by Cynthia Cirino, New Haven Unified School District, Union City, California. The NTeQ lesson plan template was modified from its original version, which can be found on the NTeQ website at: http://www.nteq.com/ )

Psychoanalysts and critics have long studied fairy tales and children's books, searching for hidden meanings. Now a new show at the Children's Museum of Manhattan reveals a subtext even Freud never thought of: math lessons.

Consider, for instance, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." All the heroine's investigations chez Bears are also exercises in size and measurement. Or the book "Frog and Toad Are Friends: A Lost Button" by Arthur Lobel. An entertaining tale, yes, but also an introduction to the foundations of geometry.

Developed by the Minnesota Children's Museum, the show "Go Figure!" also explores math in "The Quilt" by Ann Jonas (all about patterns), "The Doorbell Rang" by Pat Hutchins (number sense) and "Arthur's Pet Business" by Marc Brown (problem solving). Parents are encouraged to take part in exhibition activities with their children.

"If there's one thing adults are afraid of more than kids are it's math," said Maxwell Felder, the museum's director of marketing. "And for kids below the second grade, it's hard to find an easy way to teach it."

The show is also lots of fun, offering, for instance, the opportunity to test the chairs at the Bears' house and to whip up a pretend meal for the guests in "The Doorbell Rang."

In addition to saluting the numbers in children's literature, the museum is also saluting the art. Another new show is "Celebrating 60 Years of Curious George: The Art of Margret and H. A. Rey," which includes the illustrations that the Reys created for the "Curious George" books, a series about an inquisitive monkey.

The show is accompanied by a display of yellow hats, all patterned after the one worn by Curious George's human companion. Decorated by celebrities like Rosie O'Donnell and Bette Midler, the hats are to be auctioned in December to benefit the Family Healing Fund, earmarked for arts programs for children.

§ Student Journals	§ Computer Access to “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”
§ Computers with Internet Access	§ Copies of “Family Fare: Great Books to Count On” New York Times Article
§ Copies of various popular fairy tales and/or other children’s stories including Grimm’s and Anderson’s fairy tales and Aesop’s fables.	§ Various Art Supplies & Math Manipulative Materials
§ Individual and Team Think Sheets	§ Assessment Rubrics
§ Website “Hot Sheet”	§ Several basic level math reference books and Internet links