Equal Smequal

Title: Equal Shmequal

Posted by: Stephanie Garcia

 

Author: Virginia Kroll

Illustrator: Philomena O’Neill

Recommended Grade Levels: K-2

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.OA.A.1

Represent addition and subtraction with objects, fingers, mental images, drawings, sounds (e.g., claps), acting out situations, verbal explanations, expressions, or equations.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.D.7

Understand the meaning of the equal sign, and determine if equations involving addition and subtraction are true or false. For example, which of the following equations are true and which are false? 6 = 6, 7 = 8 - 1, 5 + 2 = 2 + 5, 4 + 1 = 5 + 2.

Standards for Mathematical Practice:

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2

Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6

Attend to precision.

Summary:

            The story is about a mouse that saw some children playing tug-o’-war at recess and decided that he wanted to play too.  A bunch of different animals started to gather around wanting to play too, however, they had to figure out how to make both sides equal so that it would be fair.  After many attempts by dividing up into plant-eating and meat-eating animals, fur and no fur animals, and a few others, mouse finally decided to use a seesaw to weigh themselves into equal teams.  Once the seesaw was leveled equally, they began to play tug-o’-war.  No one was winning until bear heard a swarm of bees and got distracted because he wanted the honey, so the opposite team won.

           

Rating: 5 stars

            This book is a great way for children to learn about the meaning of the equal sign.  The storyline is very cute and engaging, especially for children.  The book ends with a page briefly describing what it means to be equal in math, art, law, and in sports.  This helps broaden the children’s thinking that it is not only about numbers.  The illustrations in the book, especially the balancing of the seesaw, help to give the children a good visual of what equal really means.

Classroom Ideas:

            I think that this book would be a great introduction reading for a unit on math symbols, the equal sign.  If I were reading the book to a class, I would stop after the first attempt of the tug-o’-war game, have them share with a partner how they would divide the animals into equal teams, and then have them share some of their ideas with the whole class.  After finishing the book, I would start a discussion about the meaning of math symbols, especially the equal sign.  I also think it would be a great idea to use a balance scale to demonstrate equality.  The teacher should have some objects to put on the balance scale but I think that it would be nice to have the children, in partners or small groups, get two items that they think might be equal to each other and then test it out.