2nd Edition

Using Children's Literature to Teach Problem Solving in Math Addressing the Standards for Mathematical Practice in K–5

By Jeanne White Copyright 2017
    184 Pages 35 B/W Illustrations
    by Eye On Education

    184 Pages 35 B/W Illustrations
    by Eye On Education

    184 Pages 35 B/W Illustrations
    by Eye On Education

    Learn how children’s literature can help K–5 students see the real-life applications of mathematical concepts. This user-friendly book shows how to use stories to engage students in building critical reasoning, abstract thinking, and communication skills, all while helping students understand the relevance of math in their everyday lives. Each chapter is dedicated to one of the eight Standards for Mathematical Practice, and offers examples of children’s literature that can be used to help students develop that practice.

    You’ll find out how to:

    • Encourage students to persevere in solving mathematical problems and use multiple approaches to find the answer;
    • Help students reason abstractly with the aid of concrete objects and visuals;
    • Guide students in constructing arguments to explain their reasoning and engage in critical discussion with their peers;
    • Teach students to recognize mathematical patterns and use them to solve problems efficiently;
    • And more!

    The book offers activities for beginners as well as for more advanced problem solvers. Each chapter also provides guidance for ELLs and students with special needs, so no matter your classroom environment, you’ll be able to use these strategies to make math class more dynamic, engaging, and fun.

    About the Author

    Acknowledgements

    Introduction-Addressing the Standards for Mathematical Practice in K-5

    Breaking Down the Practice Standards

    Creating a Problem Solving Community

    Chapter 1-Make Sense and Persevere

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    7 Blind Mice-K.OA Decompose numbers into pairs

    MATH-Terpieces: The Art of Problem Solving-1.OA Use 2 and 3 addends to find a sum

    Splash!-2.OA Represent addition and subtraction problems

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    The Warlord’s Kites-3.MD Use the formula for the area of a rectangle

    A Remainder of One-4.OA Solve multi-step word problems with whole numbers

    Multiplying Menace-5.NF Multiply a whole number by a fraction

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 2- Reason Abstractly

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    Each Orange Had 8 Slices-K.OA Count to answer, How many?

    Ten Flashing Fireflies-1.OA Explore the Commutative Property of Addition

    Rooster’s Off to See the World-1.OA Explore the Associative Property of Addition

    Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!-2.G Partition rectangles into rows and columns

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Racing Around-3.MD Solve problems involving perimeters of polygons

    Fractions, Decimals and Percents-4.NF Understand decimal notation for fractions

    Count to a Million-5.NBT Understand the value of 0 in a multi-digit number

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 3-Construct Arguments

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    How Many Mice?-K.OA Represent addition and subtraction

    Mall Mania-1.NBT Add two-digit numbers using various strategies

    How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?-2.NBT Skip-count and compare three-digit numbers

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Full House-3.NF Understand how fractions are written as part/whole

    The Warlord’s Puzzle-4.G Classify 2-D figures and recognizing right triangles

    The Hershey’s Fractions Book-5.NF Use equivalent fractions to add & subtract fractions

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 4-Create a Model

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    The Doorbell Rang-K.OA Represent addition in various ways

    Bigger, Better, Best!-1.G Compose 2-D shapes into composite shapes

    Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday-2.MD Solve word problems with money

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Tiger Math-3.MD Draw graphs to represent a data set with several categories

    Actual Size-4.MD Make a line plot to display a data set of measurements

    Polly’s Pen Pal-5.MD Convert among different-sized measurement units

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 5-Use Mathematical Tools

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    Patterns in Peru-K.G Describe relative positions

    How Big is a Foot?-1.MD Iterate length units

    Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone-2.G Recognize attributes of 3D objects

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Inchworm and a Half-3.MD Generate measurement data by measuring lengths

    Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland-4.MD-Understand concepts of angles

    Perimeter, Area and Volume-5.MD Understand concepts of volume measurement

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 6-Attend to Precision

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    If You Were a Triangle-K.G Identify 2D shapes

    Lemonade for Sale-1.MD Represent and interpret data

    Measuring Penny-2.MD Measure and estimate lengths

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Chimp Math-3.MD Solve problems involving measurement of intervals of time

    Hershey’s Weights and Measures-4.MD Express and record units of measurement

    Sir Cumference and the Viking’s Map-5.G Graph points on a coordinate plane

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 7-Look for Structure

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    The Button Box-K.MD Identify attributes for sorting

    The Greedy Triangle-1.G Explore attributes of shapes

    Earth Day-Hooray!-2.NBT Use place value to add and subtract

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Hershey’s Kisses Multiplication and Division-3.OA Relate multiplication and division

    If You Hopped Like a Frog-4.MD Solve problems involving measurement

    Cheetah Math-5.NBT Explain division calculations

    Wrapping It Up

    Chapter 8-Apply Repeated Reasoning

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades K-2 Problem Solvers?

    Bunches of Buttons: Counting by Tens-K.CC Count to 100 by tens

    The King’s Commissioners-1.NBT Represent tens and ones

    Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens-2.NBT Represent three-digit numbers

    What Does This Standard Mean for Grades 3-5 Problem Solvers?

    Math Appeal-3.OA Represent and solve problems involving multiplication

    The Warlord’s Beads. -4.NBT Understand place value for multi-digit numbers

    Anno’s Magic Seeds-5.OA Generate numerical patterns

    Wrapping It Up

    Next Steps

    Appendix

    References

    Biography

    Jeanne White has been an educator since 1992 when she began teaching elementary school in the south suburbs of Chicago. She is currently a Professor of Education at Elmhurst College.

    “The entire time I was reading this, I thought of the various ways that I could bring this resource into our district. I love how it breaks it down easily and explains how to embed the SMP and strategies into the everyday language of the classroom. The use of the book is almost scripted, allowing the teacher easy entry into the practice standard.” 
    --Aubrey Carpenter, Instructional Math Coach, Danville District 118, Danville, Illinois

    “This book helps students make connections with children’s literature and the Mathematical Practices. The author provides examples of specific stories and related activities to encourage problem solving and real-life application. Each chapter presents an in-depth look at one of the eight Mathematical Practices, offering fun, engaging challenges for all students. The directions and questions provide teachers with easy access to complex processes and proficiencies such as perseverance, critical thinking, and abstract reasoning. If you want to help your students develop a positive mathematical mindset, you should add this resource to your collection!”
    –Jennifer Taylor-Cox, Educational Consultant and Author of Math Intervention P-2 and Math Intervention 3-5

    "This is an inspirational and motivating way of approaching problem solving in contemporary mathematics education...Although the picturebook market is vast and rich, teachers do not often come across recommendations for about 50 mathematics picturebooks in one book, accompanied by didactical comments and guides on how to use these picturebooks in mathematics education.The book Using Children’s Literature to Teach Problem Solving in Math helps fill this gap."
    -Dubravka Glasnović Gracin, Libri & Liberi