Math Concept Reader MCR g4 diego’s perfect fit

Diego’s
Perfect Fit
Math Concept Reader
Expedition:
Antarctica
by Aenea Mickelsen
ca62xs_lay_061207ad_am.indd 4 1/9/07 9:09:15 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
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Printed in the United States of America
ISBN 13: 978-0-15-360191-0
ISBN 10: 0-15-360191-4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 179 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07
Math Concept Reader
Diego’s
Perfect Fit
by Sarah Mastrianni
Photographs by Kay McKinley
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DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
.


Diego is the newest student at Hollis Elementary
School. His family moved to the area after his mother
started working at a new job. Diego is eager to make
some new friends. Hollis Elementary School is a pretty
big place, though, and Diego is nervous about how he
will fit in. His parents suggest that he join an after-school
activity.
Diego thinks this is a great idea. He decides to do a
little research about what activities are offered at his new
school. Then he will decide which activity to join. He
knows that joining an after-school activity will help him
make new friends. He likes the idea of playing a sport or
maybe learning a new skill.

Chapter 1:
Diego’s First
Assignment
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 2 1/9/07 11:08:11 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
The principal asks Diego for a favor.


Diego stops by the school office to speak with the
principal. He asks permission to visit the various after-
school activities so he can choose one to join. The
principal tells Diego that he may visit any activity that
interests him.
Then the principal asks Diego for a favor and he
explains that there is a town council meeting next

week. At that meeting, the principal will share some
highlights of Hollis Elementary School. The principal
will talk about some of the programs held at the school,
including some of the after-school activities. Diego can
help by designing a visual aid that shows what after-
school activities the school has and how many students
participate in them.
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 3 1/9/07 11:08:14 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Diego will gather data for the principal.


Diego is delighted by the principal’s request. He
can gather data about the activities for the principal’s
presentation while he searches for the best activity to
join. He thinks about how he will collect the data.
First, he will ask the school’s secretary for an overview
of each after-school activity. Then Diego will choose
five activities that interest him. He can visit each of
the activities and ask the students why they enjoy their
activities.
After he visits all five activities, Diego will find a good
way to organize his data. He will prepare his findings for
the principal to share at the town council meeting. Diego
hopes his research will help him find an activity to join.

ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 4 1/9/07 11:08:16 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Hollis Elementary After-School Activities
Activity Number Meeting Why Students

of Days and Enjoy
Students Times Their Activites
Drama
Volleyball
Art
Homework
Music
Diego makes
a chart for
the data he
will collect.
*
That night Diego brainstorms some ideas for gathering
information. He is confident that planning ahead will help
him provide the right data for the principal.
Diego lists five activities in a notebook. He makes
columns for the information he will gather. He labels
the first column “Number of Students.” He labels the
second column “Meeting Days and Times.” He labels the
third column “Why Students Enjoy Their Activities.” He
leaves plenty of space in the third column to write down
comments students share about each activity. Diego thinks
this piece of his data collection will be very interesting,
and it will help him in making a decision about which
activity to join.
.

Diego’s first visit this afternoon is the drama club. The
students meet in the auditorium. Diego enters through
the stage door where he sees a clothes rack with many

colorful costumes. The club members are preparing for
their upcoming production.
When Diego enters, the students and teacher invite
him to join them on the stage. Naturally, Diego feels a bit
nervous with all this attention, but the students are eager
to answer his questions. Soon Diego becomes so involved
in the discussion he forgets he was nervous at all. He
writes furiously to keep up with what students are saying
about the drama club. After he collects enough data,
Diego thanks the club members and heads to the school
gym.

Chapter 2:
From Drama
to Drums
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 6 1/9/07 11:08:19 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Hollis Elementary After-School Activities
Activity Number Meeting Why Students
of Days and Enjoy
Students Times Their Activites
Drama 16 Mon. Enjoy making costumes
& Wed. Laugh a lot
2:30-3:30 Sing and dance
Tues. Get to pretend you are
2:30-4:00 someone else

Volleyball 18 Mon. & Super exercise
Thurs. Coach fun. Get in shape
2:30-3:30 Lots of teamwork

Sister plays volleyball
Meets Monday
and Thursday
Art
Homework
Music
Diego adds
data to his
chart about
the drama
club and
volleyball
practice.
,
Diego watches students stretch and jog as they warm
up in the gym.The students are getting ready to play
volleyball.The volleyball coach is also Diego’s new
science teacher. He smiles at Diego and invites him to
join the other students.
Diego asks the students questions about playing
volleyball.They are eager to tell him about their practices
and their games.They tell Diego that they work hard at
practice so they can be prepared for their games.
Diego is interested in what the students say about
practice and the games. Choosing an after-school activity
might be a difficult decision. Diego thanks the volleyball
team and heads down the hallway to the art room.
Art club members tell Diego about the club.


The walls in the art room are covered with colorful
paintings and fun drawings. Diego is impressed by the
artwork created by students at Hollis Elementary School.
As Diego admires one painting, a student greets him. The
student introduces himself as James, the artist who created
the painting.
Diego explains that he is visiting the art room to
gather information about students who participate in this
activity. Diego and James sit at a table covered with art
supplies—paints and brushes, scissors, chalk, and colored
pencils. They speak for just a few minutes before other
students join the conversation. Diego takes notes on the
different art projects and the yearly art show. Diego is
filling up his notebook quickly!
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 8 1/9/07 11:08:23 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Diego gathers information about the homework club.

Diego thanks the artists for their time and then makes
his way to the library. As Diego approaches the doorway,
he hears laughter. He notices students crowded around
tables filled with objects. Diego recognizes many of the
objects from his math class.
Diego approaches one table and introduces himself
to the students. The students explain that they stay after
school to get help with homework. They can work with
partners, and teachers and tutors are available to answer
any questions. One student says that she often has her
homework finished by the time her parents arrive to take
her home. Then she has her evenings free to enjoy other

things. Diego thinks this sounds like a good use of time.
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 9 1/9/07 11:08:27 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Diego talks to members of the music club.
10
Now Diego heads to the last stop of the day—the
music room. The classroom door is closed, but Diego
hears music playing. He knocks on the door, but no one
answers. When Diego opens the door the music stops
abruptly. Diego is a little embarrassed for causing the
disruption. The teacher invites Diego into the classroom.
Some students say they have been playing their
instruments for several years. Others tell Diego that
they are beginning musicians. The students like being at
different skill levels because it allows them to help each
other with the music. Twice a year the students pick their
favorite songs and hold a concert in the auditorium.
Diego records their comments in his notebook.
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 10 1/9/07 11:08:30 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Diego heads home with a notebook full of data.
11
Diego glances at a clock. It is getting late, and he
promised to meet his father in front of the building at
4:30. He thanks the music students and walks to the front
of the school.
Diego heads home to review his notes and create a
visual aid from the data he collected. He first needs to
organize the data in a way that will help him understand
the information better. By choosing a good visual, he

will be better able to see his data. It will also help the
principal with his presentation for the town council
meeting.
Diego will
have to think carefully about the after-
school activity he would like to join. It will be a difficult
decision.
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 11 1/9/07 11:08:32 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
.
1
After dinner, Diego goes to his bedroom to review his
notes and organize the data he collected from school. He
thinks the best way to share what he has learned with the
principal is to make a diagram or graph. He could present
the data in many different ways—a Venn diagram, a bar
graph, or a pictograph. Any of these visuals would help
him share the information with the principal.
Diego thinks it would be fun to make a pictograph.
Diego chooses the pictograph. In the pictograph, he will
show five activities and how many students participate in
each one. He will put the student comments in a separate
table and use the table to help him decide which activity
to join. It will also provide interesting information for
the principal. Diego gets to work organizing his data and
creating his pictograph.
.
Chapter 3:
Decision
Time

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DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Student Participants in Hollis After-School Activities
Activity
Drama
ÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇ
Volleyball
ÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇ
Art
ÇÇÇÇÇ
Homework
ÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇÇ
Music
ÇÇÇÇÇÇÇ
Key: Each

= 2 students.

Ç
Diego creates a pictograph about Hollis Elementary
after-school activities.
1
After several hours, the pictograph is complete. Diego
heads downstairs to share his findings with his parents.
He explains to his parents that of all the students he met
most stayed after school to get help with homework. The
students who enjoy acting, met most frequently and for
the longest amount of time.
Diego thinks the students’ comments are interesting.
Most of the students joined an activity because they liked

it. Some students chose an activity that met on certain
days, and others had a sibling who encouraged them to
try an activity. A few students joined an activity because it
was something new for them to try. Diego’s parents listen
carefully as Diego describes the different after-school
activities.
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 13 1/9/07 11:08:32 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Diego tells his mom about his afternoon at school.
1
As Diego’s mom looks at the graph he created, Diego
shares information about his new school. He tells her
stories about meeting new classmates. Diego explains that
the principal asked him to make this graph for the town
council meeting next week. He also tells her details about
the after-school activities he visited and how all of the
students were very friendly.
Finally, Diego takes a breath from telling his stories.
His mom asks him which club he will most likely join.
“I’m still not sure,” he says. “It is hard to decide when all
of the students enjoyed all of the activities.” Diego realizes
he needs a little more time to think about which activity
would be best for him.
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 14 1/9/07 11:08:35 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
Diego wants to learn to play drums. He practices with
his toothbrushes first!
1
Tomorrow Diego will share his pictograph with
the principal. He will share his table with the student

comments, too. He is confident the graph he created will
be perfect for the principal’s presentation.
Diego feels happy because he learned more about
his new school, and he met many friendly students. He
thinks maybe Hollis Elementary School is not such a big
place after all.
Just before bedtime, Diego makes one minor change
to his graph. There are 14 students who play music after
school. Diego changes that number to 15 students. He
wonders what his parents will say when he tells them he
wants to learn to play the drums. He will tell his parents,
“It is a perfect fit!”
ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 15 1/9/07 11:08:37 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
1
brainstorm to come up with many ideas about a topic
or question
collect to br
ing or put together
data infor
mation collected about people or things
organize to put in or
der
pictograph a g
raph that uses pictures to show and
compare information
Venn diagram a diag
ram that shows relationships
among sets of things
Glossary

ca45os_lay_061227ac_sb.indd 16 1/9/07 11:08:37 AM
DIGITAL FINAL PROOF
ink and Respond
Look at the pictograph that Diego created after he visited
after-school activities at Hollis Elementary School.Answer
the questions below using the information in the
pictograph on page 13.
1. How many students did Diego collect data from?
2. Which activity had the fewest students?
3. How many students in all take part in drama
and volleyball?
4. Suppose you interview 30 students about after-school
activities.What information would help you decide
which after-school activity you might join? Explain
your answer.