Myths & Maths
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Tales

We have brought together 80 stories specially chosen to support the learning of mathematics. Of course, you are free to use others as well! You will also find about fifteen riddles and a few rhymes: these are not stories in the strict sense, but they come from the oral tradition and pursue the same educational goals.

How to search?
   On the left-hand side of the screen, filter by age group 🧒 and by type of story 🌀.
    The turquoise labels indicate mathematical notions.
    The coral labels point to strategies and skills, as well as situations and emotions involved in mathematical activity, illustrated by the story and its characters.
    The orange labels refer to transversal competences that are strengthened when listening to or telling the story, and that are useful for doing well in mathematics.

For each story, every label is justified by a short explanatory sentence.

How to proceed? Two possibilities:
   – Starting from a notion: select it and then choose an associated story.
   – Starting from a story: discuss with your pupils what is at stake from a mathematical point of view.

ou explorez avec les filtres ci-contre

Ten little dogs

Nursery rhyme

Age : 5-6

addition subtraction count

visualize numbers and quantities

🎬 vidéo

A Sheet

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12

geometric shapes

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

The longest word

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12

think

And yet

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

The Wolf and the seven little goats

Animal tale

Age : 5-6

equality and inequality logic

critical thinking

🎬 vidéo

The Cat and the Meat

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

including part of the whole equality and inequality logic measures

model think

The mountains of Calabria

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

recursivity

🎬 vidéo

The Little Red Hen

Animal tale

Age : 3-4 5-6

logic construction planning

autonomie

model plan order logically

🎬 vidéo

The Weight of the Statue

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

fractions equations

model represent

🎬 vidéo

The Hare and the Tortoise

Animal tale

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

equality and inequality measures time

perseverance

model calculate

The Mittens

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6

addition subtraction count measures

model visualize geometric configurations

🎬 vidéo

La Cacahuète

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6

size comparison scheduling classification

model visualize geometric configurations

🎬 vidéo

The Five Breads

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

division fractions logic

critical thinking problem solving

model think calculate communicate

🎬 vidéo

Half a chicken

Animal tale

Age : 7-9

think

How many drops

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

logic the zero

model think

The Three Little Pigs

Animal tale

Age : 3-4 5-6

strategy

🎬 vidéo

Geometric shapes

Riddle

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9

angles geometric shapes

communicate visualize geometric configurations

The twelve animals

Animal tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

count scheduling classification

strategy

model visualize in space

Times of life

Etiological tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

addition subtraction time

critical thinking

model

La oca de Navidad

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

division optimization

creative thinking self-confidence

calculate spatial reasoning

🎬 vidéo

The Territory

Animal tale

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12 13+

size comparison geometric shapes measures

strategy

visualize in space

Dido's ruse

Tale

Age : 10-12 13+

geometric shapes orders of magnitude optimization

creative thinking self-confidence perseverance

model visualize geometric configurations visualize in space

The Rascal and the King's Daughter

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

visualize in space

The multiplication table

Nursery rhyme

Age : 7-9

multiplication numbers

L'Enfant

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

recursivity

represent abstract and applied thinking visualize in space

The Eye

Wisdom tale

Age : 10-12 13+

equality and inequality multiplication

model

The Gingerbread Man

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4

count

visualize numbers and quantities visualize in space

The Legend of Chess

Legend

Age : 10-12 13+

multiplication numbers orders of magnitude powers

calculate visualize numbers and quantities

The Legend of the Three Sisters

Legend

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

equality and inequality measures scheduling classification

creative thinking

Count to ten

Etiological tale

Age : 3-4 5-6

count

creative thinking

question

🎬 vidéo

The Groumf Hunt

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6

visualize in space

The rooster Kirico

Cumulative tales

Age : 5-6 7-9

scheduling classification

problem decomposition

The mountain goat

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

orders of magnitude

self-confidence

visualize in space

🎬 vidéo

Oak carrier

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

size comparison measures

think

The intelligent daughter of the farmer

Riddle tale

Age : 10-12 13+

logic

creative thinking self-confidence

think communicate

Yes or No

Riddle

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

geometric shapes

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

The cutest little mouse

Cumulative tales

Age : 5-6 7-9

equality and inequality

model think

Le Géant

Cumulative tales

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

recursivity

error handling

model think visualize in space

Garbancito

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

measures

visualize in space

🎬 vidéo

The three scientists and the apple

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

angles equality and inequality geometric shapes

collaboration

think visualize in space

The Intelligent Bride

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

logic

creative thinking

🎬 vidéo

The Three Goats

Animal tale

Age : 3-4

size comparison

strategy

model visualize in space

The Key

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

problem solving

Le Ouistiti

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

geometric shapes

model visualize in space

The Disciple's Share

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

division convergence limits logic

think question

The two bear cubs too greedy and the fox

Animal tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

addition subtraction size comparison equality and inequality fractions convergence limits

problem solving

model think calculate

The Peasant of Isfahan

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

symétrie

collaboration intuition

visualize in space

How to fill the house?

Etiological tale

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12 13+

geometric shapes

creative thinking problem solving

model question spatial reasoning

Six birds on a branch

Riddle

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9 10-12

numbers

model

Skeletons

Nursery rhyme

Age : 5-6

count numbers time

visualize numbers and quantities

🎬 vidéo

Two outputs for one input

Riddle

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12 13+

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

The Hunter and the Nut

Wisdom tale

Age : 10-12 13+

probabilities

perseverance

visualize in space

The Farmer's will

Riddle tale

Age : 10-12 13+

division fractions prime numbers

problem solving

calculate

The Quick Thinker

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

size comparison orders of magnitude

creative thinking error handling self-confidence

think communicate visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

The Forest of the Century

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

multiplication numbers time

critical thinking

model represent calculate visualize numbers and quantities

There were five in the nest

Nursery rhyme

Age : 3-4 5-6

count numbers

problem decomposition

visualize numbers and quantities

🎬 vidéo

The Account

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

multiplication

plan

🎬 vidéo

The Wisdom of a judge

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

size comparison

problem solving

think visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

The Lyre Player

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

logic probabilities

error handling

think

Grandpa and the turnip

Facetious tale

Age : 3-4 5-6

addition subtraction count

collaboration

visualize in space

🎬 vidéo

Fair sharing

Animal tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

problem solving error handling

think

The blind man on Baghdad Bridge

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

addition subtraction division powers

problem decomposition

calculate visualize numbers and quantities

The Eye of Horus

Tale

Age : 10-12 13+

division fractions convergence limits measures powers

model think calculate visualize numbers and quantities

The one that disappears when you name it

Riddle

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

logic

think

Papa Big-Nose

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

problem solving error handling collaboration

abstract and applied thinking

The Story of Ommi Sissi

Cumulative tales

Age : 7-9

order logically

City of seven bridges

Author tale

Age : 10-12 13+

graphs

creative thinking problem solving

model think visualize in space