Title: Pigs will be Pigs: Fun with Math and Money

Nelli Zuccarelli

Author: Amy Axelrod

Illustrator: Sharon McGinley-Nally

Recommended Level: Second grade

CCSS Content Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.8: Measurement & Data

Solve word problems involving dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, using $ and Cent symbols appropriately.

Summary: The pig family ends up eating all the food in the house, even though Mrs. Pig went shopping earlier that morning . The pigs all want to go out for dinner, but they realize they don’t have any money left.  So, they have to hunt around the house for money to go to their favorite restaurant called, "Enchanting Enchilada". How much money do the pigs find? What can they afford to get from the menu?

Rating: 4 out of 5. This book introduces ways to add and subtract while involving the use of money. This book does a great job of keeping the readers engaged with colorful and humorous characters as well as the plot. As a read aloud, students can keep count with the pigs as they gather money page by page. There is a menu included in the book and the layout serves as a great real life connection for its readers.

Classroom Ideas/Lesson Ideas: I will hand out  graphic organizers and have students work in pairs; I will then hand out play money to each group. Students will work on their worksheets as the book is read aloud. These organizers will include a chart, which will have each pig's name so students can fill out the amount each pig makes as the book is read aloud. Another organizer will include questions that the students will answer and share with the class once the activity is complete. After they figured out the bill at the restaurant and how much money the pigs have left with their partners, we will discuss their findings and ideas with the rest of the class. Play money will be used for adding and subtracting the totals. If there is time leftover, I will then pass out copies of the menu included in the book. Students will  be told to return to their partners and review the menu as if they were sitting in "Enchanting Enchilada" themselves. They will use the original sum the Pig family collected and order as much food as they can with the money they have. Then we can discuss with the class what each pair ordered from the Pig's favorite restaurant.