Math and Literature

A Mini Unit
Grade One

Chrysanthemum
(by Kevin Henkes)

Mathematics and Literature: Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum: A Mini-Unit
To begin the year in mathematics, the childrens book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes will be
used. Names will be the basis of the following mini-unit which will last for about one week.
The unit will be linked with language arts. The childrens names will be the focus of a study on
letters and sounds, as well as name recognition.
Mathematics Specific Outcomes
Students will:
Demonstrate an understanding of counting by:
indicating that the last number said identifies how many.
showing that any set has only one count
Sort objects, using one attribute, and explain the sorting rule
Demonstrate an understanding of measurement as a process of comparing by:
identifying attributes that can be compared
making statements of comparison
Represent a number to 20 (symbolically)
Materials and Resources

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Chart graph paper (one strip per child pre-cut)
Teachers name on graph paper already made and decorated
Chrysanthemum on graph paper (one per each pair of children)
Blackline Master: Measuring With My Name
Math journals
Class set of childrens names (on graph paper) to be used for sorting

Mathematics and Literature: Chrysanthemum

Unit Outline
Timeline: 4 5 days (first week of school)
Lesson 1 (Story Introduction and Names)
1. Read Chrysanthemum to your 1st grade students. Discuss the story and talk about how
many letters the students have in their names. Do you have a longer name or a shorter
name than Chrysanthemum? How do you know?
2. Give each student a pre-cut strip of graph paper (all the same length about 10 squares
long, depending on the longest childs name). Explain to them that they will put one letter
of their name into each square. (Show teacher example.) Decorate names.
3. Ask each child say how many letters they have. Discuss how we counted.
Lesson 2 (Comparing Names)
1. Ask, Who has the shortest name in our class? Allow time for discussion and reasoning. Do
the same for the longest name.
2. Have the students:
Find someone who has the same amount of letters as them.
Find someone who has less letters in their name.
Find someone who has a greater amount of letters in their name.
Find someone who has one more / one less letter in their name?
3. Ask, How many more or less is your name than Chrysanthemums name? What is the
difference? How do you know?
4. Compare the longest name and the shortest name in class. Whose name is longer? Whose
is shorter? How much longer/shorter is it?
Lesson 3 (Graphing)
1. Now, graph the students names according to length. Pass each child a sticky note and have
them write their name on it.
2. To create the graph, put the numbers 1 to 10 on the bottom. Have students put their name
with the appropriate number. Discuss what the title should be and what the labels on each
side should be.
3. Transfer to graph paper (pre-made). Spend time on asking questions about the graph.
Lesson 4 (Sorting)
1. Spend some time discussing how to sort. Discuss what a sort is. Give an example of how
you might sort the names (e.g. by first letter the same; by number of letters).
2. Give each student a class set of names. Have them determine a sort by at least one
attribute. Discuss.

Mathematics and Literature: Chrysanthemum

Family Home Connection

Family Activity 1
Who in my family has the longest / shortest name?
Have children determine how many letters are in each family members name.
Who has the longest name?
Who has the shortest name?
Who has a longer name than you? Who has a shorter name than you?