Using Literature in Math For Primary Teachers

MIAA 360
Professional Development Outline
Debbie Hernandez
Goals
Teachers will experience an integrated literature and math lesson.
Teachers will learn theory behind integrating literature and math.
Teachers will interact with various integrated lessons.
Teachers will learn types of literature that lend themselves to math lessons and tips on how to
teach with childrens literature.
Teachers will explore websites that offer additional literature and math lessons.
Preparation and Materials
Copies of article and Gina Bitners lists
Picture Books: Multiple copies for ones selected as examples, single copies for afternoon session
Copies of math activities that accompany each literature piece.
Participants need to bring laptops.
Check that web sites are still current.
Index cards
Time Task

8:30
-8:45

Welcome and Purpose

Welcome and introductions
Review goals

8:45

9:30

Experience an integrated literature and math lesson:

Read Band-Aids by Shel Silverstein. How many Band-Aids were used in all? As I read
it again, keep track any way that you want of how many Band-Aids the little boy had.
Discuss solution and the methods people used to accurately come up with the answer.
Extend lesson with other questions: What was the total number of Band-Aids in the box
before it was opened? How do you know? (See attached for entire list.)

9:30

10:0
0

Why integrate math and literature?

Share the following Marilyn Burns clips:
How does reading help to teach math?
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/movies/popup_MB_1.htm

How Childrens Literature Connects to Mathematics

http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/movies/popup_MB_2.htm
Research:
Read article Using Childrens Literature to Teach Mathematics Price, Ruth R. and
Lennon, Colleen
Give each person two large index cards. Have them summarize the following to keep in
front of them to help in planning during the afternoon session.
1. How to select appropriate literature for math instruction
2. Ways to use literature to improve mathematics engagement
Share out anything they notice or wonder about.
10:0 Break
0
10:1
5
10:1 Stations: Set up stations and have participants rotate through all stations. Adjust number of
5
stations depending upon the number of participants. (15 min./station)
11:45
1. Poof! [An interactive story that involves students moving around on a hundreds
grid while the teacher reads the story. It explores patterns on the hundreds chart,
skip counting, and place value.]
2. Shapes by Shel Silverstein [Students draw, describe, categorize, compare shapes
in the poem.]
3. Imogenes Antlers by David Small [Students build antlers out of pipe cleaners and
then use cheerios to create addition problems similar to number bonds.}
4. A Pig is Big by Douglas Florian [Leads to a class or group discussion on size.
Students order objects by size.]
5. A Three Hat Day by Laura Geringer [Students look at patterns and relationships
using a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the hats.]
6. The Crayon Counting Book by Pam Munoz Ryan and Jerry Pallotta [Students
explore the concept of odd and even.]
11:45 Lunch

12:3
0
12:3 Share out anything they noticed from the lessons they looked at before lunch. Any
0
questions or concerns?
1:30
Tips on how to teach with Childrens Literature.
Give them copies of Gina Bitners lists (see attached). Review the criteria she suggests.

Provide a variety of books and have groups pick one, read it and brainstorm together how
they could use it for teaching math. Refer to index cards and Gina Bitners lists as needed.
1:30

2:15

Share out with the group a summary of what they came up with.
On-line resources
Explore sites that have lists of suggestions for literature and math lessons.
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/pdfs/mbmath_TitleLis
t.pdf
http://www.mathcats.com/grownupcats/ideabankmathandliterature.html
http://cherylhe.weebly.com/
http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/math/math.html
http://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/math-literature
http://mathandliterature.com/
http://www.teachhub.com/using-children%E2%80%99s-literaturemotivate-math-lessons

2:15

2:30

Reflect and Evaluate

How might you use what youve learned today in your classroom?
What resource did you find that was must helpful?
What is your next step?

Band-Aids
By Shel Silverstein from Where the Sidewalk Ends
(Presented by Jill Hudson from Montgomery County
Public Schools, Maryland)
1. Find the total number of Band-Aids used in all.
2. The poem says there are 35 more Band-Aids in
the box. What is the total number of Band-Aids
in the box before it was opened? How do you
know?
3. What if the character took the leftover BandAids and put them all over his little brothers
arms and legs? If each arm and leg had the
same number of Band-Aids, how many were on
each arm and leg? Was there any Band-Aids
left?
4. Each Band-Aid is 5 in. long. If he lined up all
the leftover Band-Aids (after sticking the others
on his brother) end-to-end, how long would the
line of Band-Aids be?
5. Each Band-Aid is worth about 12 cents.
Estimate the value of the Band-Aids on the

characters head and neck area. Explain your

thinking. Then calculate the actual cost.

Math + Literature = Deeper Understanding

By Gina L. Bittner
http://www.nereads.org/pdfs/MathLiteratureDeeper
Learning.pdf

Why Literature in MATH?

O Generates interest in a math concept
O Motivates students to think and reason mathematically
O Helps students make connections between math
concepts and their personal lives
O Accommodates different learning modalities
O Promotes critical thinking
O Engages learners in problem solving experiences
O Illustrates interdisciplinary connections to mathematics

Guidelines for Choosing Childrens

Literature
O Select childrens books that
O Use the mathematics correctly, are set in
reasonable contexts, and are expressed in an easily
understandable manner
O Are visually pleasing as well as functional; they

unleash the imagination and curiosity of the reader

through stories and rich
illustrations;
O Appeal to multiple grade levels and provoke
thinking and learning for a wide range of ages.

Tips for Choosing Childrens Literature

O Select childrens books that.
O Invite active participation from readers or listeners;
O Hook the reader
O Avoid stereotypes and use inclusive language;
O Promote equity

Tips for teaching with Childrens

Literature
O Read a new book all the way through, without pausing
to emphasize mathematics
O Read the book a second time, pausing to show pictures,
ask questions, give students an opportunity to physically
model the story (if possible)
O Create activities based on the story: Change the
numbers and act it out

Tips for Teaching with Childrens

Literature

O Ask questions that relate the story to childrens lives

(favorite character, feelings from story, problem solving)
O Write new words from the story on the boards or on the
math word wall,
O Pose problems based on the story; allow students
opportunities to pose problems as well.
O Refer back to the story when teaching to a related
concept.
O Use childrens books to encourage parent involvement.

Literature Tiers
O Tier 1 Fundamental
O Story written with math concepts in mind; math
concepts are driving force of plot line
O Tier 2 Embedded
O Story written with apparent math connections; story
has plot of its own
O Tier 3 Connected
O Story written without mathematical connections; math
can be created from text

Resources
O Whitin, P. & Whitin, D. J. (2004). Math is language too:
Talking and writing in the mathematics classroom. Reston,
VA: NCTM