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

The Rascal and the King's Daughter

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

visualize in space

The Rat Princess

Cumulative tales

Age : 5-6 7-9

model think

equality and inequality

The three scientists and the apple

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

collaboration

think visualize in space

angles equality and inequality geometric shapes

Le Ouistiti

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

model visualize in space

geometric shapes

Fair sharing

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

problem solving error handling

think

🎬 vidéo

The intelligent daughter of the farmer

Riddle tale

Age : 10-12 13+

creative thinking self-confidence

think communicate

logic

🎬 vidéo

The Three Little Pigs

Fairy tale

Age : 3-4 5-6

strategy problem solving error handling

model think plan

construction planning

🎬 vidéo

Ветрилото

Facetious tale

Age : 10-12 13+

visualize geometric configurations

symmetry

🎬 vidéo

Walk!

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

problem solving

think

measures time

The yellow dragon and the blue dragon

Wisdom tale

Age : 10-12 13+

perseverance

The blind man on Baghdad Bridge

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

problem decomposition

calculate visualize numbers and quantities

addition subtraction division powers

🎬 vidéo

The Zebra

Riddle

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

visualize in space

🎬 vidéo

Geometric shapes

Riddle

Age : 5-6 7-9

communicate visualize geometric configurations

angles geometric shapes

Dido's ruse

Tale

Age : 10-12 13+

creative thinking self-confidence perseverance

model visualize geometric configurations visualize in space

geometric shapes orders of magnitude optimization

🎬 vidéo

The Cat and the Meat

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

model think

including part of the whole equality and inequality logic measures

The Key

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

perseverance

🎬 vidéo

The mountains of Calabria

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

recursivity

🎬 vidéo

A Sheet

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

geometric shapes

The Legend of the Three Sisters

Legend

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

creative thinking

equality and inequality measures scheduling classification

The Farmer's will

Riddle tale

Age : 10-12 13+

problem solving

calculate

division fractions prime numbers

🎬 vidéo

The Eye

Wisdom tale

Age : 10-12 13+

model

equality and inequality multiplication

The Legend of Chess

Legend

Age : 10-12 13+

calculate visualize numbers and quantities

multiplication numbers orders of magnitude powers

🎬 vidéo

Grandpa and the turnip

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9

collaboration

visualize in space

addition subtraction count

🎬 vidéo

The Eye of Horus

Tale

Age : 10-12 13+

model think calculate visualize numbers and quantities

division fractions convergence limits measures powers

The Little Red Hen

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6

autonomy

model plan order logically

logic construction planning

🎬 vidéo

The mountain goat

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

visualize in space

orders of magnitude

🎬 vidéo

The Empress chooses a Prime Minister

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

critical thinking error handling self-confidence

question

The Parable of the Elephant

Wisdom tale

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9 10-12 13+

collaboration

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

including part of the whole

🎬 vidéo

The Age of Diophantus

Riddle

Age : 13+

calculate communicate

fractions equations

The Shadow of Gerixeti

Author tale

Age : 10-12 13+

collaboration

model visualize geometric configurations

angles

And yet

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

🎬 vidéo

Papa Big-Nose

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

problem solving error handling collaboration

abstract and applied thinking

The Hunter and the Nut

Etiological tale

Age : 10-12 13+

perseverance

visualize in space

probabilities

Times of life

Etiological tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

critical thinking

model

addition subtraction time

Nursery rhymes and fingerplays

Nursery rhyme

Age : 3-4 5-6

count numbers

The longest word

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

think

🎬 vidéo

The Intelligent Bride

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

creative thinking

logic

🎬 vidéo

Yes or No

Riddle

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

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

geometric shapes

The twelve animals

Etiological tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

strategy

model visualize in space

count scheduling classification

The Lyre Player

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

error handling

think

logic probabilities

Half a chicken

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9

problem solving

think

The Mittens

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6

model visualize geometric configurations

addition subtraction count measures

🎬 vidéo

The Weight of the Statue

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

model represent

fractions equations

🎬 vidéo

Courtillon-Courtillette

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

strategy problem solving error handling

think plan

construction planning

Garbancito

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6 7-9

visualize in space

measures

🎬 vidéo

The multiplication table

Nursery rhyme

Age : 7-9

multiplication numbers

L'Enfant

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

represent abstract and applied thinking visualize in space

recursivity

The Wolf and the seven little goats

Fairy tale

Age : 5-6

critical thinking

question

equality and inequality logic

🎬 vidéo

Count to ten

Facetious tale

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9

creative thinking

question

count

🎬 vidéo

La Cacahuète

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9

model visualize geometric configurations

size comparison scheduling classification

🎬 vidéo

Six birds on a branch

Riddle

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

model

numbers

🎬 vidéo

How many drops

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

model think

logic the zero

🎬 vidéo

A Liar's Truth

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

think

logic

🎬 vidéo

In your hands

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

strategy creative thinking

think

logic

Ten little dogs

Nursery rhyme

Age : 5-6

visualize numbers and quantities

addition subtraction count

🎬 vidéo

Skeletons

Nursery rhyme

Age : 5-6

visualize numbers and quantities

count numbers time

🎬 vidéo

La oca de Navidad

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

creative thinking self-confidence

calculate spatial reasoning

division optimization

🎬 vidéo

The rooster Kirico

Cumulative tales

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

problem decomposition

scheduling classification

🎬 vidéo

The two bear cubs too greedy and the fox

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

problem solving

model think calculate

addition subtraction size comparison equality and inequality fractions convergence limits

🎬 vidéo

The Disciple's Share

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

think question

division convergence limits logic

🎬 vidéo

There were five in the nest

Nursery rhyme

Age : 3-4 5-6

problem decomposition

visualize numbers and quantities

count numbers

🎬 vidéo

Two outputs for one input

Riddle

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

visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

The Gingerbread Man

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9

visualize numbers and quantities visualize in space

count

🎬 vidéo

The Quick Thinker

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

creative thinking error handling self-confidence

think communicate visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

size comparison orders of magnitude

The Three Goats

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6 7-9

strategy

model visualize in space

size comparison

Mirror of Creation

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

creative thinking collaboration

visualize in space

symmetry

The one that disappears when you name it

Riddle

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

think

logic

The Five Breads

Riddle tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

critical thinking problem solving

model think calculate communicate

division fractions logic

🎬 vidéo

Le Géant

Cumulative tales

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

error handling

model think visualize in space

recursivity

The portrait

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

represent think

graphs

The adventures of the three princes of Serendip

Riddle tale

Age : 10-12 13+

critical thinking problem solving self-confidence problem decomposition

model represent think communicate question

logic orders of magnitude

The Goat, the Cabbage and the Wolf

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

problem decomposition

plan visualize in space

Oak carrier

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

think

size comparison measures

🎬 vidéo

La Pierre blanche et la Pierre noire

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

strategy

think

logic

🎬 vidéo

The Forest of the Century

Riddle

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

critical thinking

model represent calculate visualize numbers and quantities

multiplication numbers time

The Wisdom of a judge

Facetious tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

problem solving

think visualize geometric configurations spatial reasoning

size comparison

The Account

Fairy tale

Age : 7-9 10-12

plan

multiplication

🎬 vidéo

The Story of Ommi Sissi

Cumulative tales

Age : 7-9

order logically

The Hare and the Tortoise

Wisdom tale

Age : 5-6 7-9 10-12

perseverance

model calculate

equality and inequality measures time

City of seven bridges

Author tale

Age : 10-12 13+

creative thinking problem solving

model think visualize in space

graphs

The Peasant of Isfahan

Wisdom tale

Age : 7-9 10-12 13+

collaboration intuition

visualize in space

symmetry

How to fill the house?

Riddle tale

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

creative thinking problem solving

model question spatial reasoning

geometric shapes

🎬 vidéo

The Groumf Hunt

Cumulative tales

Age : 3-4 5-6

visualize in space