Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!

Written by Marilyn Burns
Illustrated by Debbie Tilley

Recommended grade level: K-5

NCTM Content Standards: Number and Operation, Geometry, Problem Solving, Connections, Representation

Summary: Mr. and Mrs. Comfort decide to host a dinner part. They invite 32 of their nearest and dearest. They rent 8 square tables to seat their guests-- each seats 4. As the guests arrive on the day of the party, they begin to push the tables together so that they can all sit with the Comforts. Mrs. Comfort warns the guests that their table configuration will not accommodate all 32 guests, but they do not listen to her. Ultimately, everyone recognizes that the only way to solve the seating situation is to separate all 8 tables. Mrs. Comfort is exasperated but in the end, everyone has a seat.

Uses for this book: For younger children, teachers can have students count and then document the number of guests who arrive at the party. Slightly older children can discuss the amount of food that the Comforts purchase for their party and how much each guest can eat (i.e. ½ a loaf of garlic bread, 3 meatballs, etc.) However, this book is ideal for helping students to understand that different shapes with the same area can have different perimeters. A teacher can begin by holding a discussion where the class figures out why Mrs. Comfort continuously says, “But that won’t work.” Students can use square shaped magnets or laminated pieces of card stock to rearrange the table setup as you read each part of the story. This activity can either be done as a whole class or by each student at his or her desk. Students can calculate perimeter and area after each arrangement and talk about their findings at the end of the story. Additionally, students can be asked to calculate how many tables it would take to seat 12, 16, 24 or 36 people—this activity allows them to apply what they learned from the story to other scenarios. And finally, students can plan their own parties, complete with menus and table setups based on how many people they plan to invite.