Open Discussion Forum

  • 1.  Math Picture Book of the Month

    Posted 04-14-2023 10:13 AM

    The Early Math Interest Forum (EMIF) facilitators sponsor a Math Picture Book of the Month post for the Hello community. Below is the post for April 2023.



    Book: What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees, by Nancy Tafuri

    https://www.nancytafuri.com/what-the-sun-sees-what-the-moon-sees 

    In What the Sun Sees, What the Moon Sees, by Nancy Tafuri, readers explore what the Sun "sees" across the day and what the moon "sees" during the night. Starting on the cover that says, What the Sun Sees, we see daytime things, like meadows, an owl sleeping, and children playing. Then, half way through the book, the instructions in the corner of the page say to "Turn the book around" to the back cover, and it starts again. The cover on this side of the book (upside down relative to the other cover) has the title, What the Moon Sees. This half of the book shares what the moon "sees" through the night. Rich illustrations touch on ideas in science, like day and night, how some creatures are awake during the day and others at night, and the crosscutting concept in science of patterns! 

    This book can keep going, flipping back and forth, just like the cycle of day and night repeats. Meaningful integration between math and science is possible through patterns. Patterns are big ideas in math and they help us understand natural phenomena in science that repeat, like day and night, and life cycles. What other math connections can we make?

    Math concepts, practices, and explorations include: 

    • Patterns - identifying what repeats in this book. Children experience the book flipping over in their hands each time, and they may connect that with the fact that the sun rises and sets each day. Talk about what is a pattern and what are the parts of the pattern that repeat.

    • Comparing, sorting - what activities or objects in our lives do we only see or do at night? During the day? 

    • Fractions - half of the book is about the daytime, and half is about the nighttime

    • Book orientation and literacy connections - how is this book different from other books? Do we usually flip a book upside down to read it? We can talk about spatial orientation words through this discussion, like flip, turn, upside down.

    Activity ideas

    • Children can try to make their own repeating, flipping book. 

    • Children could draw something they do during the day and something they do during the night, then sort the images into categories. They could do a Venn diagram. Is there anything that we do during the day and at night that would go in the middle of a Venn diagram? (hint: breathing!)

    • Ask children to abstract the book's pattern (AB - day,night; or moon, sun) using something else, like colorful blocks. For a challenge, ask children if they can make patterns with their bodies using another pattern structure, like clap, clap, stomp; clap, clap, stomp; clap, clap, stomp (AAB). Try to encourage at least 3 repetitions of the repeating unit.

    • Science activities: 

      • The Sun does rise and set each day (for most parts of the Earth anyway…), but we cannot always see it. What happens on a cloudy day? Where does the Sun go?

      • Children might notice that although the Sun rises and sets each day, the moon's appearance is not limited to nighttime. The moon is actually sometimes visible during the day, like in the morning! How can that be?

      • Talk with children about what they observe and notice about objects in the sky. Supporting children to make observations, talk about their thinking, and stay curious will allow them to form an accurate understanding of scientific phenomena as they get older, like how the objects move in the sky, what causes day and night, the seasons, etc.



    Want more on early math integration with science and STEM?

    Join us for the two related opportunities below:

    • Integrating Early Math Meaningfully with Science and Engineering. Thursday, September 14, 2023, 7-8pm ET. The Early Math Interest Forum's free, virtual meetup on math integrations in STEM. EMIF co-facilitators, Alissa Lange and Carrie Cutler, share ideas about highlighting math for a purpose in science and integrated STEM experiences with preschool children. Registration required: https://etsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMoc-GsqzguH9emC0bbDV7Dobhc8Ks52oL1 

    • EC STEM Lab Resources. Check out our website for free and fee-based resources and events focused on preschool STEM. For example, the What the Sun Sees; What the Moon Sees book above will be a part of our Preschool STEM Institute, to be held on Friday, June 23, 2023. We will dive into the S in STEM, with math integrations and a theme of Space science in this all-day, virtual professional learning for coaches, master teachers, directors, trainers, and anyone who supports preschool teachers. We mail kits in advance, and include articles, PowerPoints, and resources for attendees to adapt and use with teachers. Engaging, connecting experience filled with ideas to implement right away. www.ecstemlab.com



    More Online Resources on Patterns in Math



    Thanks for reading and please check out more from the Early Math Interest Forum on Hello, our listserv, or on our Social Media.

    - Alissa Lange and the EMIF co-facilitators

    https://www.facebook.com/NAEYCmath 

    https://www.ecstemlab.com/webinars--blogs.html



    ------------------------------
    Alissa Lange
    Director, EC STEM Lab
    Co-Facilitator of the EMIF
    Director, Center of Excellence in STEM Education
    Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education
    East Tennessee State University
    Johnson City, TN
    www.ecstemlab.com
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Math Picture Book of the Month

    Posted 04-24-2023 08:35 AM

    Thanks so much for the post, Alyssa. It came at the perfect time. I was able to incorporate the book you shared as well as some of the teaching ideas right away! 

    Thank you!



    ------------------------------
    Carrie Cutler
    Co-Lead Facilitator for the Early Math Interest Forum
    Clinical Assistant Professor
    University of Houston
    The Woodlands TX
    www.carriecutler.com
    ------------------------------