1. The Geometric Analysis of Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! A Mathematical Story
As I read the story, Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! A Mathematical Story by Marilyn Burns to my students, we will take note of the mathematical situations that occur. I will encourage the students to tell me how Mrs. Comfort should prepare for her guests regarding the number of tables that she will need for thirty-two people. At this point I will reiterate the concepts of perimeter and area so that I can inquire of my students about which concept they believe would apply (area or perimeter) in order to appropriately seat the guests. Students will be able to discuss the question with their classmates to allow for problem solving and reasoning. Moving forward with the story, the students will be asked to continue to carefully consider what will happen each time guests arrive and the arrangement of the tables are moved. Mrs. Comfort and her family re-arranges the tables numerous times.
“Later on in the book, after six additional guests arrive, the same eight tables were then re-arranged into a one by eight rectangle after re-arranging two arrays of four. Renting eight, small, square tables and seating four people at each table, wasn’t the only way Mrs. Comfort could have organized the tables for the thirty-two member family reunion”.23
Students will be asked to,
“Cut out squares of cardboard or use small square tile manipulatives so that they can construct the different ways the guests in the story arranged the tables. Students will be asked to experiment so that they can see that Mrs. Comfort ordered the fewest tables possible”.24
Basically, students should construct the various combinations of the squares to simulate thirty-two available seats.
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