Children's Books to Share the Beauty and Joy of Math
Math is a Journey
Math is often seen as getting answers, working with basic facts, operations, and equations. When this is the focus, we often lose sight of the journey, and of the joy! These skills are important, but are only a small piece of what learning math can offer us in life.
Exploring Big, Beautiful Problems in a Thinking Classroom offers many glimpses of collaboration, deep learning, and making connections to real math in the world around us. Learning math should be about noticing, wondering, seeing patterns, making connections, and the flow of exploring a challenging problem!
Join us to discover where math will take us as we experiment with Teaching Through Problem Solving in a Thinking Classroom (Peter Liljedahl - style). Together we will explore the beauty, joy, and magic of math!
Alicia Burdess
Math teacher. Math coach. Math learner. Author.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY
James Tanton, Research Mathematician, Founder of the Global Math Project, Married to a Real Rocket Scientist
“One fold. Two folds. Three folds. More! This story so beautifully captures the essence of exploring mathematics: its imagination, its depth, and its surprises as “simple” ideas unravel
to reveal a universe
of wonders to embrace.
This is a gem of a book!”
Nathalie Sinclair, Professor, Researcher of Mathematics Education, Passionate about Sharing the Beauty of Geometry
"Children and adults alike will be mesmerized by this adventure into the world of dragons, boats, clouds, and goats, all of which help show the wonderful geometric patterns created by a perfect mix of story-telling, illustration, strips of paper, and imagination. What an excellent way to introduce children to the thrill of exploring, wondering, and asking questions, that is, to the world of doing mathematics."
Nat Banting Father of Two, Mathematics Teacher of Many More, Champion of Math Education
“The Dragon Curve demonstrates that sometimes the simplest of ideas have the power to invite us into imaginative, curious, and never-ending mathematics. Invitations like these are critical for young learners as they build their identity as mathematical sense makers both in the classroom and the home.”
The Dragon Curve
-A Magical Math Journey-
I am so excited to share what I've been working on!
I wrote a children's book about the beauty and joy of math and my good friend, artist Katrina Shirley, brought the story alive with her beautiful illustrations.
Sometimes doing something ordinary, like folding a strip of paper in half over and over again, turns into something unexpected. Join Aiyana as she experiences the beauty of fractals in the unfolding of an extraordinary journey.
Teachers- Dragon Curve Lesson Plans and Math Activities That Kids Will Love!
My Blog
Resources for Students, Parents and Teachers
- Problems Worth Solving in a Thinking Classroom -
A grade 8 student and her mother talk about learning math through problem solving in a "thinking classroom."
Even teachers learn together through problem solving