Poetry Break - Poetry Across the Curriculum

Arithme-tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes

By J. Patrick Lewis

Introduction
Play a math guessing game with children. Tell them you are thinking of a number – the same number as planets in the solar system, for example. After they have experienced some success at solving this type of problem, read the following poem.

A Regular Riddle

What’s the number of points on a regular star,

Less the number of wheels on a regular car,

Plus the number of teeth in a regular mouth,

Less the number of states that begin with South,

Plus the number of paws on a malamute,

Plus the number of pants in a birthday suit,

Less the number of 17 brown bears’ thumbs?

Easy, if you know your regular sums.

Extension
Have children make up their own Arithme-riddle as a group project. Ask them to think of lines while you write them on a board or chart paper. Assemble the lines into a pleasing arrangement, then have them figure out the arithmetic answer to the riddle.

Answer: 5-4+32-2+4+0-34=1

Another excellent poetry book to use when studying history:

Voices of the Alamo

by Sherry Garland

Poems in different voices reflecting the perspectives of many men and women - Indian, Mexican, Spanish, Texan, and American - recount the history of the Alamo from the 1500s to the present.

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2002. Arithme-tickle. New York: Harcourt.

Garland, Sherry. 2000. Voices of the Alamo. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing.