Six Creepy Sheep by Judith Ross Enderle; Stephanie Gordon Tessler; John O'BrienReview by: David J. WhitinThe Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 40, No. 8 (APRIL 1993), p. 490Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41195457 .

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ment and organize an assessment plan. The book is divided into five sections. The

first, called "Shifting Assessment Practices," talks about previous assessment practices ver- sus current practices and introduces the idea that changes are needed.

The second section is called "Performance Assessment." It gives practical examples of performance tasks, projects, investigations, and open-ended questions that can be used to assess students. Suggestions are also made on ways to evaluate the resulting activities.

Part 3 is called "Observations, Interviews, Conferences and Questions." A practical guide is presented with realistic suggestions for orga- nizing interactions, deciding on the types of questions to pose, and recording the knowledge you gain about how the student is thinking.

Part 4 is called "Mathematics Portfolios." It gives ideas about what to put in a portfolio, how to use it, how to involve students in the selection of material, and how to use a portfolio for purposes of assessment and evaluation.

The final section is called "Implementing Models of Assessment." It addresses reports, students' involvement in their own assessment and evaluation, and keeping parents informed about their child's work.

The book offers ideas that can easily be imple- mented in the classroom. The suggestions for organizing the activities and recording the in- formation gained are also excellent. This book presents ideas to bring together and adapt many of the assessment ideas that educators have been trying during this period of change. It is an excellent book of practical assessment ideas. -

Lynn Carr, Nicola-Canford Elementary School Merritt, ВС VOK 2B0.

From Other Publishers

For Students

The Go-Around Dollar, Barbara Johnston Adams, illus. by Joyce Audy Zar ins. 1992, ages 6-9, 32 pp. ,$13. 95 cloth.ISBN 0-02-70003 1-1. Four Winds Press, Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, NY 10022.

Did you even wonder about the life of a dollar bill - where it went, who it met, and how it was used? In this fictional narrative the author de- scribes the travels of a dollar bill as it passes from hand to hand. The story is also interspersed with interesting facts and anecdotes about dif- ferent parts of the dollar bill. As the story begins, two boys find a dollar bill on the sidewalk. We learn that it's easy to drop a dollar bill because it weighs so little; in fact, about 490 one-dollar bills make a pound. As one of the boys buys some bubble gum at a store, Jennifer receives the bill as part of her change. When she acciden-

490

tally gets her dollar wet as it goes through the washing machine, we learn about the cotton, linen, and silk threads that make a bill especially strong. As the bill again passes through several more sets of hands, we learn about the signifi- cance of some of the pictures on it, such as the pyramid, eagle, and olive branches. We also learn that the average life expectancy of a one- dollar bill is eighteen months.

Obviously, students would enjoy examining some bills themselves so they could identify some of the characteristics that are mentioned in the story. They might want to create their own life story of a dollar bill or coin; others might be interested in investigating the history of money as well as possibly sharing coin collections they have started. - David J. Whitin.

Six Creepy Sheep, Judith Ross Enderle and Stephanie Gordon Tessler, illus. by John O'Brien. 1992, 21 pp., $12.95 cloth. ISBN 1-56397-092-9. Caroline House, Boyds Mills Press, 910 Church St., Honesdale, PA 18431.

In Six Creepy Sheep, the sheep decide to go off trick or treating. However, they are frightened by other bands of trick-or-treaters, such as a passei of pirates, a flock of fairies, a herd of hobos, and a gaggle of goblins. As they encoun- ter each group, one by one each sheep "turns tail with a shriek." Finally one sheep is left, but he discovers all the trick-or-treaters in the farmer's barn ready to celebrate. The mathematical pat- tern of 6 - 1=5,5- 1=4, and so on is well illustrated; on the left side of each page is the set of sheep who chose to remain, whereas on the right side of the page is the sheep who is running away. In this format readers can view this math- ematical sequence in a consistent manner.

Students might enjoy acting out both these stories and perhaps creating some of their own adventures for these silly sheep. - David J. Whitin.

REVIEWING AND VIEWING

Etcetera

Activity Math: Using Manipulatives in the Classroom, Anne Bloomer and Phyllis

Edited by Janet Bauman-Boatman Hillsborough County Public Schools Tampa, FL 33601-3408 Gillian R. Clouthier University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC V6T1Z5 Mary Kay Tornrose Mathematics Coordinator Newtonville, MA 02160

Carlson. 1993, black-line masters and dictio- nary of ideas for using manipulative activities to teach specific skills for grades K-3,200pp. , $32 paper. ISBN 0-201-45505-6. Addison-W esley Publishing Co., 1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867.

To say that the authors are enthused about the use of manipulatives in the classroom would be an understatement. Using the NCTM's Cur- riculum and Evaluation Standards (1989) recommendation that instruction should incorporate increased use of these tools, Bloomer and Carlson have produced far more than just another volume of classroom activities.

The 8.5-inch-by-l 1-inch size, the three-hole- punched pages, the page format, and the easy- to-read print are inviting. Inside is an outline of the NCTM ' s recommended Standards for Grades K-4, to which over 200 activities have been correlated. The instructions for each activity include the specific skill that is being addressed, a suggested duration, a list of materials, and an anticipatory set. The clear and concise instruc- tions for each of the lessons also indicate spe- cific teacher actions in bold print.

For the novice, Activity Math presents some guidelines and information about how to begin with this type of instruction. Included are de- scriptions of each of the commercial products used, sources from which they can be pur- chased, and items that might be used as substi- tutes. For the experienced teacher who is famil- iar with the NCTM's curriculum standards, the "Don't Panic - Start Here" section begins as follows:

For many of us the Standards are exciting yet over- whelming. How can we balance the desire to imple- ment a new approach with the need to cover the growing curriculum, assess with prescribed tests, stay within a tight schedule, write meaningful comments on student papers, and all the rest? We need support, time, and the kind of knowledge that easily translates into actual lessons.

Bloomer and Carlson have furnished direc- tion, encouragement, and justification for fre- quently incorporating activities using manipu- lative materials in K-3 classrooms. The authors state, "By no means does this book explain completely how to teach mathematics well." What Activity Math does do well is give class- room teachers the support needed to refine their own teaching and to understand and incorporate the spirit and intent of the NCTM's curriculum and evaluation standards into their mathematics programs. - Ken Harper, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W3N4.

Constructions for Children: Projects in Design Technology, Barbara Eichelberger and Connie Larson. 1993, grades K-4, 85 pp., $9.95 paper. ISBN 0-86651-627-1. Dale Seymour Publications, P.O. Box 10888, Palo Alto, CA 94303.

ARITHMETIC TEACHER

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