Literature Links Apple Fractions, by Jerry Pallotta (Scho-

lastic, 2002), is a picture book that uses specific varieties of apples to introduce fractions to readers ages five through eight. Elfish characters are shown using primitive carpentry tools to dissect apples into halves, thirds, fourths, etc., through tenths. Frac- tions as parts of a group are also discussed. The characteristics of apples are discussed as well as uses of apples. Apple cider, apple juice, and the difference between them are explained. The text is very simple and the ideas are clear. This would be a good intro- duction to fractions or as a mathematical accompaniment to an apple study.

Fearless, by Barb Rosenstock (Dutton

Children’s Books, 2010), is a biography of Louise Smith, one of America’s first race car drivers. “In those days, it was pretty tough to be a girl . . . There were games you couldn’t play and clubs you couldn’t join . . .” Louise definitely broke the rules. At age seven, she drove the family car into a chicken coop! As she grew up and married, she tried sev- eral occupations, but never lost her love for automobiles and adventure. The first race she entered was supposed to be as a joke, but she placed third, much to everyone’s sur- prise. Around 1945, she began to race seriously. Her career as a racer was far from perfect: she wrecked lots of cars and was lucky to survive. A biography like this can serve as a great starting point for data on all kinds of mathematical measure- ment: speed, timing, mass, statistics.

Cook-a-Doodle-Do!, by Janet Stevens

and Susan Stevens Crummel (Harcourt Brace, 1999), presents the problem of Rooster, who wants something new to eat.

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He finds a recipe for strawberry shortcake and enlists Turtle, Iguana, and Potbellied Pig to “help.” The process is funny, very well- illustrated, and provides kitchen situations that children may recognize. To measure the flour, do you stick a ruler in it, or pour some out? How can you measure two-thirds of a cup? Problems develop with the shortcake, so they make it again. The authors give us the recipe so we can try it, too. Sidebars include helpful information about how to measure and equivalencies.

Eating Fractions, by Bruce McMil-

lan (Scholastic, 1991), is a photo essay of two children sharing different foods. First the whole food is pictured with the word, “WHOLE” as a caption, then we see the food being divided into equal parts: halves, thirds, fourths. The children are shown eat- ing the food, and the following page shows the equal parts with the corresponding one- word caption. The foods are fresh, healthy choices and recipes for each prepared dish follow at the back of the book. This would be a good introduction to fractions and cook- ing for the youngest elementary students. It could also serve as inspiration for your own class to make a similar book using cooking projects you do in the classroom. With read- ily available digital cameras and desktop publishing, this would be a wonderful proj- ect integrating math and language.

©synergy learning • 800-769-6199 • May/June 2011