Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Children's Math Book Review: Picture Pie (& Fraction/Art Lesson!)

The boys and I found a book that we absolutely love. Ed Emberley's Picture Pie is a circle drawing book. He shows you how to divide circles into fractional pie pieces to create designs, flowers, birds, animals, fish, clowns and a whole host of fun pictures.

We spent hours exploring the book and making our own pictures this morning. Here's how I applied it to two different levels:

5 year old...I traced circles which he cut.  He then folded the circles in half--sometimes in half again to make quarters--and cut them to build parts of his pictures. He made page after page which he said was for his "picture book." Although I could have given him precut shapes, I wanted him to practice cutting and think about what it meant to fold pieces in half. He loved this and would have continued past the several hours we did it. I finally shooed them outside. The visual/spatial practice was valuable. I've watched much older children struggle to figure out how/where to place shapes to replicate something they see.

8 year old...He made his own circles by tracing plastic cups. He cut his own fractional parts and replicated pictures in the book. He had a great time using various colored paper to create different kinds of birds. He numbered them and put the answers (to bird type) on the back. I then had him label the fractional parts that he used for each section of the bird.


We will be spending a lot more time with this book. Later this week I'll post a follow up lesson. (It's here...creative writing addition!) I also want to show the boys Ed Emberley's Picture Pie Two.

Both books provide a great jumping off point for studying shapes or fractions. It'd also make an excellent gift!

I'll be linking up this week at:
stART
Craft Schooling Sunday
Childhood 101
Chocolate, Drool and Kisses
Preschool Corner
What My Child is Reading


Disclaimer: I received nothing for this review. If you order from Amazon through this blog, all commissions go toward foster care through Grace and Hope at no additional cost to you. THANK YOU!

9 comments:

  1. This book definitely goes on our "must have" list! Thanks for joining WMCIR!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This book is going on my wish list at the library. I am trying to teach this to my oldest right now and it may appeal to her. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm gonna have to get that one from the library next time. So clever! Thanks for sharing. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. What an excellent idea for a book! Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love this! Thanks for telling us about this book! Your sons' birds are adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my goodness I love this book and project. We are fans of Ed Emberley so I will have to find this book for the girls!

    Thank you for linking up to stART :0)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fabulous idea!! Stopping by from stART!

    Kerri

    ReplyDelete
  8. I put this book on hold, and was so excited when it came in right away, only to discover, when I went to pick it up, it had been "misplaced" in the library! I can't wait to do some of these with the kids.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The idea is fantastic. We tried to find real things that mirror those of particular fractions but we must try your artistic option. Since we don't have acces to the book it will be definatelly a very creative experience ;-)
    Hugs from Poland
    Ewa

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for leaving me a message. I love comments almost as much as I love chocolate! And I do LOVE chocolate. :)

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Blogging tips