Wrappers Wanted
A Mathematical Adventure in Surface Area
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Sir Fiss (who was originally from England) was the next elf to submit a request. He wanted 424 square inches of paper. I cut the paper according to his request. He eagerly grabbed the paper and sneaked off to his table. He started cutting all the little squares apart. An interesting approach, I noticed. When Sir Fiss finished, he had his box covered completely. He had used seven rolls of tape, but it was completely covered. I asked him how he had arrived at his answer.
He said, “I knew that Hexter asked for 212 square inches and that was enough to cover only three sides. I heard Suzie ask for two pieces of “10 × 16” and two pieces of 2” × 16” and two pieces of “10 × 2” paper. I knew there were six sides to the box. I started thinking about putting all those numbers together and coming up with one number. I decided there were two length × width pieces, two length × height pieces, and two width × height pieces. I came up with this formula: 2LW + 2LH + 2WH. When I solved this formula, I came up with 424 square inches. What do you think?” Sir Fiss asked.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Ever wonder how to put a new spin on a difficult middle grades math concept like surface area? Look no further! This unique tale takes the reader up to the North Pole and describes how Santa challenges his top elf, Snips Cleaver, to conserve paper because the North Pole is "going green." The elves fill out an application, sing about the area of a triangle, and celebrate the accomplishments of their friends. Jump in and join the adventure with Snips, Hex, Jenn, Mikey, and a host of other elves as they discover that there is usually more than one way to solve a problem.
About the Author
Candice Yarbray Brucke has taught in the School District of Oconee County in South Carolina since 1993 . For most of her career, she taught middle grades mathematics. It was during her collaboration with a fellow math teacher, Mrs. Charlotte Sheriff, that the idea for this book was born. Literacy in the middle grades math classroom is a passion for Mrs. Brucke. This book, which describes how to find surface area, is a creative story told from the point of view of one of Santa's elves, Snips Cleaver. This is Mrs. Brucke's third book.