Book title: Less Than Zero
Author: Stuart J. Murphy
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
ISBN #: 0-439-63958-1
Grade level for recommended use: 2nd grade
TEKS:
1. (A) apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.
(10) Data analysis. The student applies mathematical process standards to organize data to make
it useful for interpreting information and solving problems.
11. (A) calculate how money saved can accumulate into a larger amount over time;
11. (B) explain that saving is an alternative to spending;
11. (C) distinguish between a deposit and a withdrawal;
11. (D) identify examples of borrowing and distinguish between responsible and irresponsible
borrowing
Summary:
All of Perry’s friends have ice scooters. He wants one to but he will have to save up 9 clams to
buy his own. Perry charts his clams daily on a line graph. Perry begins working odd jobs to save
up but he also spends, loses his clams and even owes his friends clams as well. Will Perry ever
get enough clams to buy his ice scooter?
Materials needed: Less than Zero book by Stuart J. Murphy, pencil, activity 1 worksheet for
each group of 2 students.
Suggested activity:
1. Read the book to the students once.
2. Tell the students that they will make the line graph that Perry uses in the book as they listen to
the book being reread to them.
3. Reread the book and stop and discuss after page 5, ask the following questions:
What did Perry want to buy? (a scooter)
How much does a scooter cost? (nine clams)
How many clams did Perry have? (zero)
4. After page 9 ask the following questions:
What did Perry do to earn four clams? (He worked for his mother.)
What kind of graph is Perry making? (a line graph)
5. Have students label the left side of the line graph 1-10 going up. Then place a dot on the
coordinates (Sunday,0) then another dot at (Monday,4).
6. Begin reading again. At the end of page 13, ask the students the following questions:
Is Perry spending or saving? (spending)
On what is he spending his clams? (the Ice Circus)
Why does Perry say that he has minus one clam? (He owes Fuzzy one clam.)
How can we show that on the graph? (Model on the transparency—below the zero line,
write numbers -1 to -3—and have students do the same. Place a dot at (Tuesday, -1), then
connect the dots.)
7. Continue reading the story until the bottom of page 17. Ask the students the
following questions:
Is Perry spending or saving? (spending)
How did Perry pay for a fishy treat? (He borrowed two clams from Baldy.)
After borrowing from Baldy, how many clams less than zero was Perry? (three)
8. Show the picture on page 17. Model on the transparency by placing a dot at
(Wednesday, -3) and have students fill in their graphs.
9. Continue reading the story until the bottom of page 21. Ask the students the
following questions:
Why didn’t Perry want to go outside? (His friends all had scooters and he didn’t.)
Where did Perry find a clam? (under the couch)
What did he do after he found the clam? (started a clam search). How many clams did
Perry find on his search? (eight clams)
How many clams will Perry have after he repays Baldy and Fuzzy? (five clams)
10. Show the picture on page 21. Model on the transparency by placing a dot at (Thursday, 5)
and have the students fill in their graphs.
11. Ask the students why Perry wished he hadn’t borrowed the three clams. (If he hadn’t
borrowed the clams, he would have eight clams and would only need to save one more to buy
a scooter.)
12. Continue reading the story. At the end of page 25, ask the students the following questions:
What happened? (Perry lost all eight clams.)
What do you think will happen next? (Answers will vary.)
13. Model on the transparency by placing a dot at (Friday, -3) and have the students fill in
their graphs.
14. Finish reading the story. Ask the following questions:
What happened? (Mr. Spike found the lost clams and gave them to Perry.)
How did Perry get the rest of the clams he needed to buy the scooter? (Mr. Spike gave
them to Perry, but Perry agreed to work for Mr. Spike.)
How many clams did Perry earn each day for shoveling snow? (one clam)
How many days did he have to work to reach a total of nine clams? (four days)
15. Model on the transparency by placing a dot at (Saturday, 5) and have the students fill
in their graphs.
22. Have students create and write their own titles on their graphs.
References:
Murphy (2004). Less than Zero. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Adapted from:
Federal Reserve banks of St. Louis and Philadelphia. http://www.stlouisfed.org/education/
http://www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources/assets/lesson_plans/LessThanZero.pdf
Adapted by Rebecca Torres, 2013