Recommended Books

Number Freak : From 1 to 200 The Hidden Language of Numbers Revealed

Derrick Niederman

Australian Curriculum:  Description

“Number Freak is a guided tour of the numbers 1 to 200 – covering everything from basic mathematical principles to ancient unsolved theorems, from sublime theory to delightfully ridiculous trivia, and spanning the worlds of science, nature, sports, literature, pop culture and more”.

Teaching ideas
Hooks/starters for lessons. Introduction to new topics. Ideas to showcase mathematics or numeracy at subject evenings, open days, learning fairs etc. Lots of cross-KLA references and ideas to spark interests.

The Phantom Tollbooth

Australian Curriculum:  Description
Teaching ideas
Explore the mathematical language and concepts. Eg. Ensuring the world once again has rhyme and reason --> explore the concept of averaging as a 'levelling' process

Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar

Masaichiro and Mitsumasa Anno

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Select and apply efficient mental and written strategies and appropriate digital technologies to solve problems involving all four operations with whole numbers (ACMNA123)

Teaching ideas
At a year 6 level, factorial numbers can be used to help students understand and be able to explain the power of the operation of multiplication in contrast with addition. Specialist Mathematics in the Senior Secondary Mathematics Curriculum (ACARA) covers the concept of factorial notation (ACMSM003).

Anno’s Magic Seeds

Mitsumasa Anno

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Solve word problems by using number sentences involving multiplication or division where there is no remainder (ACMNA082); Find unknown quantities in number sentences involving addition and subtraction and identify equivalent number sentences involving addition and subtraction (ACMNA083)

Teaching ideas
Explore other patterns such as square numbers, triangular numbers, Fibonacci sequence etc.

Can you count to a googol?

Robert E. Wells

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 10 000 (ACMNA052); Apply place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to at least 10 000 to assist calculations and solve problems (ACMNA053); 4-Recognise, represent and order numbers to at least tens of thousands (ACMNA072); Apply place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to at least tens of thousands to assist calculations and solve problems (ACMNA073); 7-Investigate index notation and represent whole numbers as products of powers of prime numbers (ACMNA149)

Teaching ideas

The Animals went in two by two

Wendy Straw

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Investigate number sequences, initially those increasing and decreasing by twos, threes, fives and tens from any starting point, then moving to other sequences (ACMNA026)

Teaching ideas
Show students the concept of the jumping kangaroo on the number line. Use the animals from the book to show counting in 2s, 3s, 4s etc on the number line.

How much is a Million?

David M. Schwartz

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Recognise, represent and order numbers to at least tens of thousands (ACMNA072); Apply place value to partition, rearrange and regroup numbers to at least tens of thousands to assist calculations and solve problems (ACMNA073)

Teaching ideas
The author suggests his favourite inside the front cover of the book; I would like a million …; what do we have a million of in this school?; can we walk a million millimeters?; Read a million!

One is a Snail Ten is a Crab

April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Recall multiplication facts up to 10 × 10 and related division facts (ACMNA075)

Teaching ideas
Use other objects to represent multiplicative thinking

17 Kings and 42 Elephants

Margaret Mahy

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Subitise small collections of objects (ACMNA003)

Teaching ideas
Counting on with and without distractors in routine and non-routine environments

The King’s Chessboard

David Birch

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Introduce the concept of variables as a way of representing numbers using letters (ACMNA175)

Teaching ideas
Explore the concept if the wise man had asked for one gain on the first day, three on the second day, nine on the third day etc (x^3). How quickly would she have reached 1 billion grains?