David Schwartz teaches students at Bell’s Hill Elementary
Renowned author David Schwartz doesn’t believe math lessons should be confined to charts and flash cards. He prefers using one million popcorn kernels and the power of stories instead.
A collaboration between Bell’s Hill Professional Development School in Waco ISD and Baylor Mathematics Education Program brought Schwartz and his unique mathematical teaching techniques to Bell’s Hill Elementary for presentations on Nov. 2. Schwartz regaled students with stories explaining place-value concepts, while Baylor School of Education juniors majoring in elementary education observed. Baylor students also had the chance to meet Schwartz and get books autographed.
“David’s presentations are cleverly organized to present a fascinating story or fact that leads students through the development of a math concept,” said Sandra Cooper, Ph.D., professor of mathematics education. “Depending on the age of the group, David is able to target the math concepts that are appropriate for that age range.”
Clear baggies filled with 1, 10, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 pieces of popcorn illustrated Schwartz’s lessons as he tailored math concepts for the ages of students. One group of elementary students ranged from kindergarten to third grade, and the other group included fourth- and fifth-grade students. Elementary students, Baylor students, teachers and professor all found themselves transfixed and entertained while learning math and science concepts.
Schwartz with a bag of 10,000 pieces of popcorn
Schwartz, who has written almost 50 children’s books, finds unusual, whimsical ways to explain math and science to kids and teachers alike. At Bell’s Hill Elementary, Schwartz shared his childhood experiences of wondering and asking his teachers questions they couldn’t answer — such as how many hairs were on his head, how many grains of sand were on the beach, and how many blades of grass were on a baseball field. His imagination about numbers caused him to start writing math stories, through which he could creatively teach math lessons.
Junior elementary education major Landreigh Knapp said she his presentations piqued her interest in both math and literature. “I was further reminded of the importance of incorporating children’s literature into teaching,” she said. “This presentation encouraged me to research more books, especially those written by David Schwartz, to use in my future classroom.”
— By Molly Meeker
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