Curiosity is a key attribute for all which allows us the ability to embrace the unknown, to notice, to wonder, and to learn.  Children’s literature and storytelling foster that curiosity as students engage in learning mathematics and science and exploring the connections.  Literature conveys information and transports the reader while immersing students in the story as told by the storyteller.

The act of storytelling is one of the most recognized and oldest forms of communication where the “teller” has the ability to teach, influence, inspire, and engage others in learning. Singh and Brownell (2019) posit that storytelling “.. is an art form through which people of all ages are able to connect thoughts and ideas to meaningful emotions”(p. 109). The process of listening to stories provides opportunities to make connections between what is known and what is unknown; to expand one’s thinking and ask “what if”; and to collaborate with others. Together, literature and storytelling and mathematics and science provide powerful opportunities for students to be curious, to engage in creativity and imagination, both of which fuels wondering and noticing.

Connecting mathematics, science, literature and storytelling can help students understand and make sense of their world through making inferences, reading graphs, interpreting data, and developing vocabulary  (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM] 2018, 2020a, 2020b), asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, and planning and carrying out investigations (NGSS Lead States, 2013). It supports both problem solving and problem posing (Wilkerson, Fetterly & Wood, 2015) along with opportunities for modeling situations, often providing important context and applications, constructing explanations for science and mathematics, and  allowing students to bring their personal experiences to the story.

One of the most influential reasons for using children’s literature to make connections is the overlap and commonalities of mathematical, scientific, and literacy practices. These practices attend to important mathematical and scientific practices for students such as making sense of problems and persevering to solve them; modeling with mathematics and using models to help construct explanations; obtaining, synthesizing, and reporting findings clearly and effectively in response to task and purpose, engaging in argument from evidence, and critiquing the reasoning of others (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010; NGSS Lead States, 2013). It is also reflected in the importance of effective teaching practices as advocated by NCTM in Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (2014)  and the National Science Teaching Association’s [NSTA] position statement on Transitioning from Scientific Inquiry to Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning (NSTA, 2018) by using and connecting representations and phenomenon, posing purposeful questions and supporting a classroom environment that facilitates meaningful discourse, and providing opportunities to examine students’ thinking to support instructional decision making.

 

Addressing social justice and equity concerns in our communities and environment engage us in understanding and critiquing our world, supporting a global understanding. By connecting children’s literature, mathematics, and science we can view this world through different lenses and approach these important issues through varied entry points. With the use of literature and storytelling we can examine areas of our daily lives, unveil, uncover, and discuss social and environmental issues, and apply mathematics and science in real-world situations that may point students to future careers.

 

Use of literature can support students in seeing themselves as thinkers and doers of mathematics thus developing a positive mathematical identity that can build their confidence, capacity and willingness to engage in mathematics (NCTM 2018, 2020a, 2020b) and assist them in seeing both society and themselves in science (Royce, 2018). Use of literature allows students to see mathematics and science as a human experience, humanizing the disciplines. With the appropriate literature students can see themselves as scientists and mathematicians where they can explore, understand and critique their world.

Finally, when we consider the use of children’s literature and storytelling from a leadership perspective, Boris and Peterson (2016) note that “part of the work of a leader is to influence - to teach, convince, and inspire those around them” (p. 1). As educators, librarians, media literacy specialists, and content coaches consider strategies and approaches for meeting the many different standards across content areas and how to best teach and inspire student’s learning, the integration of children’s literature and storytelling into the content lends itself to meeting these goals and meeting the work of a leader --to teach, convince, and inspire both students and peers alike.

Overview of the webinar

The core leadership traits and also core traits of integrative STEM include connecting and collaborating.  In this webinar, we will examine and discuss the intersection of literature and storytelling with mathematics and science as an incredible opportunity to make connections for students and teachers alike.  Through this intersection, we are able to meet content standards, address practices, and examine human endeavors through the journeys of individuals. Benefits of using children’s literature and storytelling to help make connections in mathematics and science include building positive identities, helping students make sense of the world, and providing opportunities to experience joy, wonder, and beauty across the subjects. Join us on January 14th for the webinar and continuing discussion of this topic.

Moderator:

David Barnes is currently part of the senior leadership at NCTM and also the senior mathematics educator on staff. He has been blessed with a wide range of opportunities during his journey as a mathematics educator and is incredibly thankful for all the leaders that have given of their time, energy, and insights. It is through these relationships and partnerships that we find ways to come together, create, and grow. One of the most exciting places that he sees this working is through collaborations in the intersections of math, science, technology, and engineering.

---

Panelists:

Trena Wilkerson is the current President of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and is a mathematics education professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the School of Education at Baylor University in Waco, Texas where she teaches both graduate and undergraduate mathematics education courses and conducts professional development and research. She has written articles and book chapters and given presentations related to using literature in the mathematics classroom. She has also lead student camps and teacher workshops related to STEM instruction. She taught high school mathematics for 18 years in Louisiana. She has published in several of NCTM’s journals, Mathematics Teacher: Learning & Teaching PK-12, Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, Mathematics Teacher, Teaching Children Mathematics, and Journal of Research in Mathematics Education, chaired the MTMS Editorial Panel and served on the NCTM Board of Directors. She has received several awards for outstanding teaching and leadership over the years. Through it all she loves teaching and learning mathematics in support of current and future mathematics teachers and leaders! She invites you on this journey! She invites you to connect with her on Twitter @TrenaWilkerson or E-Mail: twilkerson@nctm.org

---