Kim Jernstad 1

Children’s Literature Books in Mathematics

I. The book I chose for this activity is titled “Shapes Are Everywhere!” by Charles Ghigna.

This is a colorful, non-fiction book that introduces various shapes and provides real-life

examples of where these shapes can be found. Some examples of these are the sun being

circular, a baseball field being a diamond, a watermelon slice being a triangle, and many

more. The book concludes with a two-page illustration of the various shapes that were

covered in the book, along with their respective name.

II. This book was chosen to cover the Common Core State Standard 1.G.A.1 for first grade

geometry. This standard requires students to distinguish between defining attributes

(triangles being closed, three-sided shapes) and non-defining attributes (color, overall size)

of geometric shapes. “Shapes Are Everywhere!” helps students connect geometric shapes

to objects that are around them every day, and learn the specific attributes to each geometric

shape.

III. With the successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to:

a. Differentiate various shapes by their geometrical name

b. Identify defining attributes versus non-defining attributes of geometric figures

c. Develop a base foundation of geometric figures for future mathematical applications

IV. I will start this lesson by reading the book “Shapes Are Everywhere!” aloud to the class.

As the book points out the various shapes, I will use my finger to point and outline the

shape that it is addressing. At the end of the book, where there is a two-page illustration of

the various geometrical shapes, I will point to the shape and have the students say aloud

with me its respective name. After we have finished the book, I will pass out a worksheet
 Kim Jernstad 1

that contains the same shapes that were on the last page of the book. The students will be

responsible for individually filling out the appropriate name for each shape. After they have

finished filling in the names of each shape, I will have them partner up and walk around

the room to find objects that match each shape (ex: writing “clock” by circle, or “paper”

by rectangle – for about 15 minutes). Once they have finished finding the various shapes,

we will come together as a class and share what we found. We will compare and contrast

shapes (ex: a circular “clock” versus a circular “ball”), and discuss what attributes are

defining, and what attributes are non-defining, for each shape. The students will turn in

their worksheet for participation.

V. Ghigna, C. (2014) Shapes Are Everywhere!. North Mankato, MN: Picture Window Books.