Chrysanthemum - a type of flower?? Yes, and......Oh! So much more!!

Hello friends!
Welcome back to this week's edition of our literature blog!

This week's focus is not on the genre of the book, but instead, using a fiction book to teach a certain content that many students often resist - a math lesson. 

For all of you that just said, "Math lesson?!" Yes! Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes is an adorable story about a mouse with a very long, beautiful, perfect, name! Chrysanthemum absolutely loved her name.  She loved everything about it!  Ya'll, she was so proud of her name that she constantly recited it to herself, over and over! Until..the first day of school!  As the teacher took roll, all the children laughed and teased her about her name being so long.  It was so long it barely fit onto her name tag. Dreadful!  Absolutely dreadful!  Her name was spelled with thirteen letters - half of the entire alphabet! Suddenly, Chrysanthemum did not feel like she had the most beautiful, perfect name. It was horrible. She even dreamed of changing her name to something shorter - Jane. At least until the day she met the music teacher, Mrs. Twinkle.  Delphinium Twinkle!  She too had a long name that was a type of a flower, and was expecting a baby. In the end, meeting Mrs. Twinkle restores the love Chrysanthemum felt for her name and after delivering a baby girl, she names her, Chrysanthemum! After all, it is the most beautiful and absolutely perfect name!
So how is Chrysanthemum math?
It teaches children the concept of linear measurements, comparing two or more objects, determining which is longer, shorter, or equal, and using non-standard measuring tools to measure an object.  In this case - their name!
 How??
One way is using an activity that correlates with this book called How long is your name?   You can actually review it in its entirety on the CCGPS site.  Just click on the attached link at the end of this page and scroll to page 14.

The two standards used include:
MCC.1.MD.1 Order three objects by length; compare the lengths of two objects indirectly by using a third object.
MCC.1.MD.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.  

Most children like their name and this activity allows them to compare the length of their name to your example name (maybe Chrysanthemum or your name), fellow classmates, and  to the entire class. Using linking cubes for each letter in their name, they compare the names within their small group.  They determine which is longer, shorter, or the same and record their findings. Have the students return to a common area.  Draw a table on the board and have each student take turns indicating the number of letters in their name while you chart them. Discuss who has the shortest and longest name in the class, and how using the linking cubes is a non-standard measuring tool they used to measure their name. 

This activity ties back to the story because like most children, Chrysanthemum also loved her name. The story is centered on the length of her name and as seen in the illustrations, it is very long compared to many of her classmates.  They have short names such as Jo, Kay, or Rita.  One student even points out to the teacher, “Chrysanthemum’s name is spelled with thirteen letters - half of the entire alphabet!”

In closing, we leave you with our thoughts:

Whitney's Ideas:

Until this assignment I have never thought of Chrysanthemum as being a math lesson but it can be! This book shows children how to count as well as compare the letters in their names. Doing an activity like this would be fun for children because they can count the letters in their names and compare it to their friends names. In this book we can also remind children how to treat others and not to bully someone because they are different.

Karen's thoughts:
This little book can be used in a variety of disciplines, but who would have thought math! Other ways I think will make the name game fun is to incorporate it in your teachings about money.  Put a monetary value on each letter of the alphabet and have the students add up the "value" of their name and compare it to the class.  Who has the most expensive name?  Later as an integrated math and reading activity discuss and review consonants and vowels. Identify the name and number of both consonants and vowels in Chrysanthemum's name. As a whole group tally the number of vowels in our names and make a class graph. Here you are also teaching graphing. I think these would be fun ways to gain student's interest in learning math. 



 Don't forget to check out the full activity at this website:
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Common%20Core%20Frameworks/CCGPS_Math_1_Unit4FrameworkSE.pdf       Scroll to page 14.