WHAT'S YOUR ANGLE, PYTHAGORAS?
Author: Julie Ellis
Illustrator: Phyllis Hornung
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Number of pages: 31
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (USA) First published in: 2004 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, CAN Synopsis by the author/publisher
Young Pythagoras can't seem to stay out of trouble. Every time he tries to help, people get angry. What's a curious kid to do? On a trip to Egypt, Pythagoras' curiosity helps him discover the secret of the right triangle. A clever introduction to the Pythagorean Theorem. |
“He was admiring his work when he noticed, "This status base is a right triangle! Its sides are 3, 4, and 5 tiles long."”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Julie Ellis’ ‘What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?’ (2004) is inspired by the life of Pythagoras, and provides a perfect introduction to the Pythagorean theorem. The story imagines how Pythagoras, as a young boy, might have discovered the theorem through a series of everyday situations, and how he applied his knowledge of the theorem to try to solve real world problems. This story is particularly useful in highlighting that mathematical stories are not only limited to simple counting stories. In fact, they can be a crucial mathematics learning tool for older children too. The illustrations by Phyllis Hornung Peacock are mathematically accurate and very inviting. All in all, we highly recommend ‘What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?’ for children aged 11+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher)
Recommended age range:
11+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
2D Shapes; Mathematicians
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.
Julie Ellis’ ‘What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?’ (2004) is inspired by the life of Pythagoras, and provides a perfect introduction to the Pythagorean theorem. The story imagines how Pythagoras, as a young boy, might have discovered the theorem through a series of everyday situations, and how he applied his knowledge of the theorem to try to solve real world problems. This story is particularly useful in highlighting that mathematical stories are not only limited to simple counting stories. In fact, they can be a crucial mathematics learning tool for older children too. The illustrations by Phyllis Hornung Peacock are mathematically accurate and very inviting. All in all, we highly recommend ‘What’s Your Angle, Pythagoras?’ for children aged 11+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher)
Recommended age range:
11+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
2D Shapes; Mathematicians
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.
