Recommended Books

Clocks and More Clocks

Pat Hutchins

Australian Curriculum:  Description

“When the hall clock reads twenty minutes past four, the attick clock reads twenty-three minutes past four, the kitchen clock reads twenty-five minutes past four, and the bedroom clock reads twenty-six minutes past four, what should Mr. Higgins do? He can’t tell whichc of his clocks tells the right time. He is in for a real surprise when the Clockmaker shows him that they are all correct!”

Teaching ideas
Why have Mr. Higgins clocks been right since he bought a watch?

How do you know what time it is?

Robert E. Wells

Australian Curriculum:  Description

This book tells the story of time. From the earliest ‘clocks’ devised by Egyptians to moon cycles, solar calendars, Roman calendars, tme zones and time travel.

Teaching ideas
Used for a unit starter. Many fertile questions can be derived from this book. Test the accuracy of the ancient Egyptian 'stick-clock' system.

What’s faster than a speeding Cheetah?

Robert E. Wells

Australian Curriculum:  Description

This book explores the concept of speed. Different animals, objects and concepts are benchmarked against one another to develop an understanding of speed.

Teaching ideas
Used for a unit starter. Many fertile questions can be derived from this book, e.g. what's faster than a speeding cheetah? Junior secondary could use this book to explore converting abstract units MPR to km/h

Adam Spencer’s Mind-Boggling Maths, Outrageous Puzzles, Enormous Super-Cool Games Book of Numbers and heaps of other fun stuff!

Adam Spencer

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Prep-Sort, describe and name familiar two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects in the environment (ACMMG009); YR1-Recognise and classify familiar two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional objects using obvious features (ACMMG022); YR2-Describe the features of three-dimensional objects (ACMMG043); YR3-Identify symmetry in the environment (ACMMG066); YR4-Investigate number sequences involving multiples of 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (ACMNA074); YR5-Use efficient mental and written strategies and apply appropriate digital technologies to solve problems (ACMNA291); YR6-Construct simple prisms and pyramids (ACMMG140); YR7-Draw different views of prisms and solids formed from combinations of prisms (ACMMG161); YR8-Solve a range of problems involving rates and ratios, with and without digital technologies (ACMNA188); YR9-Express numbers in scientific notation (ACMNA210)

Teaching ideas
Real-world application in this book. Cross-curricular links are strong too, science, humanities, music, HPE etc

Inchworm and a Half

Elinor J Pinczes

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Use direct and indirect comparisons to decide which is longer, heavier or holds more, and explain reasoning in everyday language (ACMMG006); Measure and compare the lengths and capacities of pairs of objects using uniform informal units (ACMMG019)

Teaching ideas
Measuring other lengths using concrete materials, e.g. string. Explain the history of what sea speed is measured in knots (concrete idea for measuring an abstract concept)

A place for zero

Angeline Sparagna LoPresti

Australian Curriculum:  Description

Establish understanding of the language and processes of counting by naming numbers in sequences, initially to and from 20, moving from  any starting point (ACMNA001); Connect number names, numerals and quantities, including zero, initially up to 10 and then beyond (ACMNA002); Yr1-Recognise, model, read, write and order numbers to at least 100. Locate these numbers on a number line (ACMNA013); Yr2-Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 1000 (ACMNA027); Yr3-Recall multiplication facts of two, three, five and ten and related division facts (ACMNA056)

Teaching ideas
Explore adding numbers up to 10 then beyond and up to 900. Explore adding and multiplying by 0. Conduct some experiments with 'numberator' and 'multi-tube'.

One Thing : featuring Charlie and Lola

Lauren Child

Australian Curriculum:  Description

F.Y-Connect number names, numerals and quantities, including zero, initially up to 10 and then beyond (ACMNA002); Yr1-Represent and solve simple addition and subtraction problems using a range of strategies including counting on, partitioning and rearranging parts (ACMNA015); Yr2-Explore the connection between addition and subtraction (ACMNA029); Yr3-Recognise, model, represent and order numbers to at least 10 000 (ACMNA052); Yr3-Tell time to the minute and investigate the relationship between units of time (ACMMG062); Yr4-Recognise, represent and order numbers to at least tens of thousands (ACMNA072); Yr5-Convert between units of time (ACMMG085); Yr6-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
Teach other vocabulary that is often used differently in everyday language such as the examples in the book; e.g. "how about no things" meaning 0 things. Explore time and how long the morning routine takes students in the class. Counting and counting on items.