Each Orange Had 8 Slices

Title: Each Orange Had 8 Slices
Author: Paul Giganti, Jr.
Illustrator: Donald Crews
Recommended Grade level: 3-4
Common Core Mathematic Standards: Operations and Algebraic Thinking->
• Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division.
• Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division.
• Multiply and divide within 100.
• Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic.

Summary: This is a great book to introduce the concept of multiplication. As you read each section to the student they can stop and think of strategies to help them find the answers to the story problem. This book gives detailed story problems to help student understand the concept of multiplication. For example if each orange has 8 slices and each slice has 2 seeds, how many seeds are there in all? These scenarios are interesting and can catch the eye of the student because it gives them life situations.

Rating: Multiplication can be a hard concept for students to understand. They might even ask; why do we have to learn this? Through this book a teacher can show them why it is important to learn multiplication. They will be able to show them the time they will save by just multiplying instead of adding. I recommend this book because I find it to be realistic and there are many lessons that can be taught through this book, especially as an introduction to multiplications story problems.

Classroom Ideas: After teaching the students the multiplication times table. I would use this book as an introduction to multiplication story problem. I would read the first story aloud to all the students. Then I would partner them up with a dry erase board in front of them. As a team they need to complete the math problem. Many of them might use addition (I would not be specific on what needs to be used) to solve the problem. Once the students have completed the task I would discuss all the ways that they used to find the answer. Then I would explain how multiplication would be the best strategy to use, showing the students step by step. If I have a smart board in the room I would re-create the problem on the board and have the students move around objects to have a better understanding (this would be their manipulative). I would continue reading the book using the same teaching methods however I would then expect the students to use multiplication.