One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes

Mathematical Strand:

Number and Operation

Topic:

Arrays, multiplication, division

Grade Level:

4-6

Lesson Created by:

Tracy Tauschek, Woodrow Wilson Elementary, Manhattan, KS

Lesson Description:

Materials

• Book One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Pinczes, grid paper, unifix cubes, pencils, markers or crayons, lined paper, and blank paper.
  

1. Launching the Lesson

1. Instruct the students to listen and look for math while you are reading the book.
   
2. Read the book.
   
3. Ask the students what parts of the story remind them of the math you have been doing in class. Discuss how the book contains arrays of ants. We have used arrays in class to show multiplication and division problems. What other arrays could we find in real life?
   

2. Developing the Lesson

1. How many different arrays does this book have? Go back through the book, stopping at each new array. Ask the students what the array is, what multiplication and division problems does it show?
   
2. Tell the students they will be rewriting this book. They will get to pick an animal and number to use in their book. Their books need to have at least four different arrays. Give out grid paper and unifix cubes so the students can start brainstorming arrays. Step one is to choose a number and at least four arrays. Step two choose an animal and where the animal is going or what it is trying to do. After that they may begin writing a rough draft of their story. The title should have alliteration.
   
3. Students could peer edit each others rough drafts. Then create the final copy complete with illustrations.
   

3. Closure/Discussion/Elaboration

1. Have the students read the completed books to each other or book buddies. Discuss after reading the book aloud what could they have done differently or changed to make it better.
   
2. Students could help younger students rewrite the book.
   
3. Students could make their books into power point presentations.