Text Set: Literacy & Math

I'm in the odd situation of teaching writing and math this year to sixth graders. However, next year I am moving to teaching all math. In an effort to maintain a strong literacy aspect in my math class, I've decided to focus my text set on finding books and other literature that I can incorporate into my math class. Please see my complete text set below. I created it in a Word table format which didn't transfer, so to help you understand the mathematics standard that each book applies to comes below the standard. There are additional texts that follow what used to be the table.

Kristina Alvarez
READ591
Text Set

While mathematics and young adult literature at first do not seem to have much in common, when paired together, they can and do work together to the benefit of both subject areas. For the past five years I have taught language arts. This next year however, I am moving to teaching mathematics. With the perspectives and knowledge I have gained as a language arts teacher, I cannot simply ignore what I know to be best practices regardless of the content area I teach in. I know that being able to read different genres is crucial to students' understanding of the author's meaning. I know that approaching a subject matter from many different perspectives allows students to make personal connections with the subject matter, in this case math. I know that many of my students are visual learners and need the text and accompanying graphics that go with it to learn best. Finally, I know that in order to become lifelong learners, students must be able to read mathematically because long after schoolroom teachers are gone from their lives, they are still surrounded by all kinds of texts from mathematical biographies, to mathematical proofs, to the first mortgage contract they sign for their home. They need to be able to read these texts in order to become lifelong learners of mathematics.
In developing the mathematical text set, my goal was simple; for each of the three major mathematical standards the state of Oregon mandates for sixth graders, I wanted to find as many mathematical texts that would support those three major standards and their sub-standards. The challenges I anticipated were the overall lack of published mathematical texts, and of those available, the lack of texts appropriate for middle school age students. However, I was amazed at how many genres of quality mathematical texts existed. I was able to easily locate many different sources of literature within my own public library system that could be used in a young adult setting.
The Oregon Department of Education Sixth Grade Mathematics Standards (2010) states, "It is essential that these standards be addressed in contexts that promote problem solving, reasoning, communication, making connections, and designing and analyzing representations” (pg. 9C). The communication aspect of these standards is often overlooked because teachers either aren’t aware of the underlying mathematics concept that needs to communicate or doesn’t know how to approach teaching it. The use of literature aides the teacher in instructing students not only in the underlying concepts, but it assists the students in their understanding of the mathematical procedures and making a personal connection with the math via literature. Table 1 includes the Oregon State Sixth Grade Mathematics Standards and the literature that can be used to teach the standard.

Oregon State Sixth Grade Mathematics Standard
(Overall Standard in Bold, Sub-Standards in Italics) Annotated Bibliography
(NA = not applicable, no appropriate text was found)
6.1 Number and Operations: Develop an understanding of and fluency with multiplication and division of fractions and decimals.

6.1.1 Select and use appropriate strategies to estimate fraction and decimal products and quotients. NA

6.1.2 Use and analyze a variety of strategies, including models, for solving problems with multiplication and division of fractions. McKellar, D. (2007). Math doesn’t suck: How to survive middle school without losing your mind or breaking a nail. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

This is the first of two books by Danica McKellar that are geared towards adolescent girls. It takes a relaxed, pop-culture attitude towards math while still teaching sound mathematical concepts and showing how they are applicable to the life of a teenager. It covers every basic math and algebraic topic developmentally appropriate to 6th-12th grades. While I wouldn’t use this book for boys because it is so clearly geared towards girls, I would most definitely loan this out to any variety of female student from one that is struggling to understand concepts to the gifted student who needs to see that math does apply to her life now. However, this book may not be viewed as appropriate for younger adolescents due to its “sexy” approach to math. (Yes, this is Winnie Cooper from the Wonder Years.)
6.1.3 Use and analyze a variety of strategies, including models, for solving problems with multiplication and division of decimals. McKellar, D. (2008). Kiss my math: Showing algebra who’s boss. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

The second of two books by Danica McKellar this multi-chapter book again focuses on making mathematical concepts relevant to today’s teenage girls. The front cover is styled much like a teenage magazine cover with bright colors, a cover girl and headlines that hint of quizzes that reveal hidden truths about whoever takes them. It isn’t a book that I would use as a whole class, but would be a great addition to any mathematics teacher’s collection of books. This book empowers adolescent girls to view math as something they can not only do, but excel in. However, this book may not be viewed as appropriate for younger adolescents due to its “sexy” approach to math.

6.1.4 Develop fluency with efficient procedures for multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals and justify why the procedures work. NA

6.1.5 Apply the inverse relationship between multiplication and division to make sense of procedures for multiplying and dividing fractions and justify why they work. NA

6.1.6 Apply the properties of operations to simplify calculations. Isdell, W. (1993). A gebra named Al. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

This book is a staple in any teacher’s library who is teaching mathematics through literature. It is a short chapter book geared towards middle school students about Julie who travels through the Land of Order of Operations. While I think that reading an entire chapter book might be a bit much to learn such a simple concept as PEMDAS, this would be an enjoyable piece of enrichment. I would be more interested in the big if it delved deeper into the why there is this specific order rather than just how to do it.
6.1.7 Use the relationship between common decimals and fractions to solve problems including problems involving measurement.
6.2 Number and Operations and Probability: Connect ratio, rate, and percent to multiplication and division.
6.2.1 Develop, analyze, and apply the meaning of ratio, rate, and percent to solve problems. Anno, M. (1982). Anno’s math games. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

The first of a three part series, Anno’s Math Games teaches abstract mathematical concepts through visually pleasing, yet clear and concise, pictures and quasi-plot. This book would be most helpful in developing students’ sense of ratio as being a comparison of two numbers or two amounts to one another. It extends the idea of ratio to determining if ratios are equivalent through proportional reasoning. For so many students who understand how to cross multiply and divide to solve a proportion, but have no idea why they are doing it or what conceptually they are doing, this book helps develop those abstract ideas. While I may not use the book as a story time book, I will definitely use the ideas and illustrations to teach and as a model for students to write their own ratio and proportion problems.
6.2.2 Determine decimal and percent equivalents for common fractions, including approximations. NA
6.2.3 Understand the meaning of probability and represent probabilities as ratios, decimals, and percents. Einhorn, E. (2008). A very improbable story. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

This is another illustrated book from the Math Adventures series published by Charlesbridge. In this book the protagonist Ethan wakes up to find a very odd cat on his head. The cat poses a series of probability questions to Ethan and says that until Ethan can correctly respond, the cat will not leave and let Ethan go to his soccer game. Ethan learns his probability lesson and then realizes how those same lessons apply to his real life soccer game. This would be a great introduction to the idea of probability. The book could also be extended so that student could find out the differences between what should happen according to the numbers and then what does happen, or the difference between theoretical and experimental probability.
6.2.4 Determine simple probabilities, both experimental and theoretical. See Standard 6.2.3
6.2.5 Develop the concept of pi as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Neuschwander, C. (1999). Sir cumference and the first round table: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

The illustrated picture book follows Sir Cumference, Lady Di of Ameter and their son Radius along with several mathematically named friends as they solve math problems in King Arthur’s court. It is well-illustrated but also goes into detail about the mathematical problems the characters try to solve. This would be a great resource to build mathematical vocabulary in a memorable way.

Neuschwander, C. (1999). Sir cumference and the dragon of pi: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Another one of the six of the Sir Cumference books, this tale leads the protagonist to defeat a dragon on a perfectly spherically shaped island. In order to defeat the dragon, Sir Cumference must discover the meaning of pi and how it is used to determine the circumference of a circle. This short picture book would be another text selection when teaching students the necessary vocabulary for geometry and could be used instead of Sir Cumference and the First Round Table or along with it.

Neuschwander, C. (2006). Sir Cumference and the isle of immeter: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.

The latest adventure of Sir Cumference this short children’s book is much the same as its predecessors. The plot is driven by mathematical problems solving including circumference, pi, diameter, and in this one using straight lines to measure rounded circles. Can be used with the other books or instead of the other books.
6.3 Algebra: Write, interpret, and use mathematical expressions and equations.
6.3.1 Use order of operations to simplify expressions that may include exponents and grouping symbols. Isdell, W. (1993). A gebra named Al. Minneapolis, MN: Free Spirit Publishing.

This book is a staple in any teacher’s library who is teaching mathematics through literature. It is a short chapter book geared towards middle school students about Julie who travels through the Land of Order of Operations. While I think that reading an entire chapter book might be a bit much to learn such a simple concept as PEMDAS, this would be an enjoyable piece of enrichment. I would be more interested in the big if it delved deeper into the why there is this specific order rather than just how to do it.
6.3.2 Develop the meanings and uses of variables. Anno, M. (1982). Anno’s math games II. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

While this book was incredibly simplistic, written for preschool or elementary school students. Its easy math games explore the mathematical concepts to basic but so abstract that teachers either don’t teach them or don’t know how to teach them. Specifically, this book includes a section exploring what numbers mean. I would use this to develop the number sense of my students. They need to understand that a number is just a symbol used to represent a certain amount of whatever. It could be 5 flowers, five dollars, 5 groups of 1,000,000 dots. It is still five and the arbitrary symbol can be translated in endless ways as long as the amount that indicates one (1) stays consistent. This number sense is crucial for students’ understanding of what a variable is.
6.3.3 Write, evaluate, and use expressions and formulas to solve problems. Anno, M. (1995). Anno’s magic seed. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

This book while written for children has mathematical concepts that would challenge even adults. It would be a good motivator when introducing students to the need for equations that quickly and efficiently solve numerical puzzles such as the growing number of seeds Jack eventually was able to plant and harvest. I would return to this book again after teaching how to write simple equations to solve problems and use it as an assessment tool to see if the students could come up with the multiple variants on the basic equation created at the beginning of the book.
6.3.4 Identify and represent equivalent expressions (e.g., different ways to see a pattern). Kroll, L. (2005). Equal, shmequal. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.

This illustrated children’s book would be a good start for a discussion of what equal means. Since sixth grade students struggle with how two terms that appear different, such as the fraction ½ and the decimal .5, can be equal this book would in simple terms show them how two different numbers can equal the same amount.
6.3.5 Represent, analyze, and determine relationships and patterns using tables, graphs, words and when possible, symbols. NA
6.3.6 Recognize that the solutions of an equation are the values of the variables that make the equation true. See Standard 6.3.4
6.3.7 Solve one-step equations by using number sense, properties of operations, and the idea of maintaining equality on both sides of an equation. Anno, M. (1995). Anno’s magic seed. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

This book while written for children has mathematical concepts that would challenge even adults. It would be a good motivator when introducing students to the need for equations that quickly and efficiently solve numerical puzzles such as the growing number of seeds Jack eventually was able to plant and harvest. I would return to this book again after teaching how to write simple equations to solve problems and use it as an assessment tool to see if the students could come up with the multiple variants on the basic equation created at the beginning of the book.
Adopted December 2007
Mathematical Texts Found that Applied to Multiple Sixth Grade Standards and Other Mathematical Concepts

McKellar, D. (2007). Math doesn’t suck: How to survive middle school without losing your mind or breaking a nail. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

This is the first of two books by Danica McKellar that are geared towards adolescent girls. It takes a relaxed, pop-culture attitude towards math while still teaching sound mathematical concepts and showing how they are applicable to the life of a teenager. It covers every basic math and algebraic topic developmentally appropriate to 6th-12th grades. While I wouldn’t use this book for boys because it is so clearly geared towards girls, I would most definitely loan this out to any variety of female student from one that is struggling to understand concepts to the gifted student who needs to see that math does apply to her life now.


McKellar, D. (2008). Kiss my math: Showing algebra who’s boss. New York, NY: Penguin Group Publishers.

The second of two books by Danica McKellar this multi-chapter book again focuses on making mathematical concepts relevant to today’s teenage girls. The front cover is styled much like a teenage magazine cover with bright colors, a cover girl and headlines that hint of quizzes that reveal hidden truths about whoever takes them. It isn’t a book that I would use as a whole class, but would be a great addition to any mathematics teacher’s collection of books. This book empowers adolescent girls to view math as something they can not only do, but excel in.

Other Mathematical Picture Books Found that Didn’t Apply to 6th Grade Standards:

Axelrod. A. (1994). Pigs will be pigs. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Company.

This book used the story of a family pigs who were very hungry but out of food in the refrigerator. They decided to hunt for money in various places in their home to see if they could find enough to go out to eat. As they search the house the reader is encouraged to keep track of how much money to pigs have and when they go out to eat, the reader is asked to see how much money they have left. Through this fun story, younger elementary students could learn about the different values of money, and how to add a subtract money as well as budget how much can be spent on a family dinner at a restaurant.

Neuschwander, C. (2003). Sir Cumference and the sword in the cone: A math adventure. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

This is another of book of the Sir Cumference math series. This narrative focuses on the mathematically a named characters as they work through the math problem-driven plot which in this case is three-dimensional shapes.

Schwartz. D.M. (1985). How much is a million?. New York, NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

This children’s book uses pictures and comparative numbers to help students understand the proportional differences between a million, billion and trillion. It would be useful in developing students’ number sense.

Full Length Chapter Books (Fiction & Nonfiction) Used as Enrichment to Math

I would use these books not as part of my daily classroom instruction but as individual extra credit or enrichment for my students. My reasons for this are time, student choice, and adherence to the curriculum. Reading an entire chapter book with the class would take too much time in the school year and the mathematics concepts found within these books come secondary to the value of them as a good read. Therefore, I would offer them as enrichment of extra credit to my students providing them with guided reading questions to help them pull out and use the mathematical concepts within the novel.

Babbitt, N. (1975). Tuck everlasting. New York, NY: Holtzbrinck Publishers.

This book is the well-known young adult novel about a sheltered young girl who meets the boy Jesse when she willfully disobeys her parents and leaves the safe confines of their home. She notices many strange things about Jesse and eventually discovers that he is much older than he seems because he will eternally be a teenager after drinking the water whose source is the tree of life. The mathematical concept that can be pulled from this book is exponential growth. You could extend a student’s thinking and have them consider what would happen to the world population if everyone drank from the tree of life.

Gow, M. (2005). Archimedes: Mathematical genius of the ancient world. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc.

This book is a biography of one of the earliest mathematicians, Archimedes. The book covers ten short chapters including parts of Archimedes life such as his schooling under his mathematician father, Phidias, his law of the lever, and his various inventions. This would be useful in teaching students about who discovered the underlying concepts of so much of the math they do on a daily basis. The study of Archimedes could be combined with reading about other mathematicians such as Pascal, Fibonacci, Pythagoras, and others.

Lambert, S.E. & Decotis, R.J. (2006). Great jobs for math majors. New York, NY: McGraw Hill.

This book goes through the general process all job applicants must go through to secure a job—resumes, cover letters, researching companies, networking and interviewing. However, it goes into specifics for students who are searching for a mathematics related career. The second part of the book goes into detail about the different math jobs there are out there and how the knowledge, degrees or experience a person would need to acquire to be hired for one of those specific jobs. This book, while written at an upper high school level would be a wonderful resource for a written report on how we could use math in our careers. This could be one of the options for a writing piece within the math classroom. Also, it is just a good source for students who like math but don’t see how it will ever land them a job in their future.

Miller, M.R & Miller, R. (2005). Carpenters and builder’s math, plans and specifications: All new 7th edition. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

This book covers a wide range of topics related to carpentry. While most of the sections would be beyond the scope of a middle or high school math class, chapter 5, “Mathematics for Carpenters and Builders” would be useful for students interested in seeing how math would relate to a very common career in Southern Oregon where I teach and in all regions for that matter. It goes into detail of how fractions, decimals, rations and other mathematical concepts are used in construction.

Mitas, P.J. (2009). Basic math: Quick reference handbook. Lavergne, TN: Quick Reference Handbooks.

This reference book was written by an experienced math teacher and would be a great reference for students or teachers who are unfamiliar with the specific steps required in math. It covers a wide range of basic math subjects with very short and clear explanations accompanied by example problems. The website QrefHandbooks.com for more practice problems. This book would be a wonderful example of how to clearly explain mathematical thinking using simple written prose and numbers and symbols. It is very well-written and easy to understand. However, it a little short on explanations on the underlying mathematical concepts, but I believe that was intentional in the focus on the procedural element of math.

Pasles, P.C. (2008). Benjamin Franklin’s numbers: An unsung mathematical odyssey. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

This is a biography of Benjamin Franklin viewed through the lens of Franklin as a mathematician. It includes the math behind his Poor Richard’s Almanac and even has math problems that Franklin himself would have solved to see if the reader can solve the same problems. This book, while not classified as young adult literature, is for readers of all ages since it calls for nothing more than basic arithmetic skills. This book would be appropriate as a text selection as an enrichment activity in a mathematics classroom.

Stewart, I. (2006). Letters to a young mathematician. New York, NY: Basic Books.

This book is a blend of fiction and nonfiction. It explores the beauty of mathematical thought in the form of letters to young aspiring mathematician named Meg. The author, a mathematician himself, wishes he had been told all these things when he had been a student and a young man. This amazing book really hits the idea home how mathematics can a living breathing part of our lives, not just something to do in school or when balancing your budget. This is a must read for any mathematics teacher and would be an interesting read for any student that has an interest in mathematics.


 
References

Oregon Department of Education. (2010). Oregon standards newspaper: Sixth grade mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/real/newspaper/