The Kitchen Pantry Scientist Math For Kids
American Association for the Advancement of Science Longlist for 2024 Hands-On Science Book Award
2023 Mathical Honor Book
Fun Math Games and Activities Inspired by Awesome Mathematicians, Past and Present; Includes 20+ Illustrated Biographies of Amazing Mathematicians from Around the World
Available on-line and in bookstores!
Math for Kids, the fourth book of The Kitchen Pantry Scientist series, brings math to life through biography and creative engagement.
Go beyond counting. Create an alien planet complete with a car with square wheels. Solve puzzles, learn a magic trick, and play a ton of games
This engaging guide offers a series of snapshots of 20+ mathematicians, from ancient history through today, paired with related hands-on projects perfect for a kitchen or a classroom. Each lab tells the story of a mathematician along with some background about the importance of their work, and a description of where it is still being used or reflected in today’s world.
A step-by-step illustrated game or activity paired with each story offers kids an opportunity to engage directly with concepts the mathematicians pursued, or are working on today. Experiments range from very simple projects using materials you probably already have on hand, to more complicated ones that may require a few inexpensive items you can purchase online. Just a few of the incredible people and scientific concepts you’ll explore:
- Hypatia (b. ~350–370)
Square Wheels - Florence Nightingale (b. 1820)
Pizza Pie Charts - Emmy Noether (b. 1882)
Fabulous Folding Flexagons - Ron Graham (b. 1935)
Fibbonacci Spiral - Fan Chung (b. 1949)
Corners and Edges and Faces! Oh my!
Praise for The Kitchen Pantry Scientist: Math for Kids
“A brilliant and hands-on introduction to the world of mathematics . . . shows how math can be creative, inspiring, and a ton of fun!”— Scott Kominers, Professor, Harvard University
“These stories make the math real in such important ways, and accessible sources like this one are rare. That this book combines herstories and histories with fun, interesting mathematical tasks is icing on the pi.”
— Jan McDonald, Former Dean and Professor, School of Education (Pace and Phillips universities)
“As a math teacher, I know that sometimes we just can’t learn a concept unless we see it in action. Rapoport and Chung’s book brings math into life with easy-to-build demonstrations. I can’t wait to implement these in my classroom!”
— Sarah Thomas, Secondary Mathematics Teacher, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College (Denver, CO)
"It's rare to find a book that puts a human face on math, let alone 22 of them! Showing a broad range of mathematicians throughout history and from all cultures and backgrounds, Rapoport and Chung inspire young mathematicians to rediscover the fun in math, and the math in the fun. Beautifully illustrated and endlessly engaging, a wonderful gift for children who love to both explore history and play with math."
— Dianna Sanchez, author of An Elf's Equations
"This book is wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of it: the biographies, the math, the projects and games. As a math professor emeritus, mother and grandmother, I wish I had had access to this long ago. It fills a void in math education by expanding our understanding of the diversity of people and cultures that developed mathematics and enriching our appreciation of the beauty and fun inherent within it. I know it was written (aptly) for children, but since it wasn't around when I was a kid, I'm shamelessly enjoying it now. 🙂"
— Kathie Yoder, Professor of Mathematics, emeritus, Pierce College
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