BEANSTALK: THE MEASURE OF A GIANT
Author: Ann McCallum
Illustrator: James Balkovek
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Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (USA) First published in: 2006 Format: Picturebook Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? Yes Is this story part of a mathematics story series? Yes (Charlesbridge's Math Adventure) Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK, USA, AUS, IND, CAN Synopsis by the author/publisher
In this new spin on the classic tale, Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds a giant friend. How can Jack and the giant do things together when they are such different sizes? Humorous illustrations clearly show their math problems and how they solve them. |
“"Your hoop is three times your height," Jack said. "So my hoop has to be three times my height, and I'm 48 inches tall." "That's 4 feet." Ray said. He got a measuring tape and measured. Then he bent a branch 12 feet from the ground into a circle. "Great!" said Jack.”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Ann McCallum’s ‘Beanstalk: The Measure of a Giant’ (2006) puts a mathematical twist on the classic story like Jack and the Beanstalk. Instead of meeting a mean giant, what Jack discovers when he climbs to the top of a magical beanstalk is Ray, just another boy who happens to be 5 times as tall as Jack. Every game they play together – whether it is hoopball or chess – size difference becomes problematic until Jack uses his knowledge of proportion and measurement to solve the problems. We like how the author mathematises this classic story, and the storyline is relatively engaging. However, the story uses the Imperial units like inches and feet, so children in countries that do not use this unit system might find the story slightly confusing to initially get their head around. That said, it could also provide a wonderful context for them to learn how to convert units. We have also heard from some teachers that their pupils find the style of the page illustrations in this story quite old-fashioned, and it somehow puts off some pupils. All in all, ‘Beanstalk: The Measure of a Giant’ could be useful for children aged 8+ years old to learn about proportion and measurement as long as the aforementioned issues are taken into account.
Recommended age range:
8+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
Length & Distance; Ratio & Proportion
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
Ann McCallum’s ‘Beanstalk: The Measure of a Giant’ (2006) puts a mathematical twist on the classic story like Jack and the Beanstalk. Instead of meeting a mean giant, what Jack discovers when he climbs to the top of a magical beanstalk is Ray, just another boy who happens to be 5 times as tall as Jack. Every game they play together – whether it is hoopball or chess – size difference becomes problematic until Jack uses his knowledge of proportion and measurement to solve the problems. We like how the author mathematises this classic story, and the storyline is relatively engaging. However, the story uses the Imperial units like inches and feet, so children in countries that do not use this unit system might find the story slightly confusing to initially get their head around. That said, it could also provide a wonderful context for them to learn how to convert units. We have also heard from some teachers that their pupils find the style of the page illustrations in this story quite old-fashioned, and it somehow puts off some pupils. All in all, ‘Beanstalk: The Measure of a Giant’ could be useful for children aged 8+ years old to learn about proportion and measurement as long as the aforementioned issues are taken into account.
Recommended age range:
8+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
Length & Distance; Ratio & Proportion
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
