Math Mentor Text-The Greedy Triangle

I'm linking up with Collaboration Cuties for their weekly mentor text linky!

 

I don't know about you, but I love books. I've always loved to read, and I love sharing new books with my students. Nothing excites me more than reading a book to my kids that they have never heard before. This week's topic is math mentor texts. I have a lot of math books I love to share with my kiddos but one of their favorites is The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns. I use this book when I am starting my geometry unit.

 

This book is about a triangle who enjoys being a triangle and all the jobs he has to do, holding up houses, being a tent, a half of a sandwich, and his favorite job-which is: to slip into place when people put their hands on their hips so he can hear all the news and tell his friends." As the story continues the triangle gets bored and asks the shape shifter for one more side and one more angle. The book describes what the (triangle) now quadrilateral does for his jobs. But the triangle quadrilateral gets bored and asks for another side and angle. The book continues on and on with the triangle asking the shape shifter for another side and angle. It goes though the shapes and shares how those shapes are used in the real world until, finally, the shape realizes he misses being a triangle and returns to the shape shifter to be put back to his correct form. The book ends just like it starts (so you can refer to it when you are teaching your kiddos about circular endings in writing!)

I love using this book to review the names of shapes with my kids in a fun way. I love that it talks about how the shapes are used in the real world. It also teaches a great lesson about appreciating you for who you are.  Don't we all still need to learn that lesson?

What are your favorite math mentor texts? Be sure to link up with Collaboration Cuties to share your favorites and find some new mentor texts to use in math!