MiddleMaths is a collection of 48 episodes based on the saga of three school classmates as they solve the dramas of being eleven. They gather in a café owned by a grandparent each afternoon before setting out. Lucy is a reserved, but formidable young girl. She proves herself with quick wits and determination. She is joined by her twin brother, Keanu, a quiet and studious classmate, usually, and his close friend, Jordan, whose only talents seem to be on a skateboard or working math problems.

 

Embedded in each story is an authentic situation requiring mathematics to solve. The scope of the stories follows and extends the strands described Virginia SOLs for grades 5 and 6. These include numbers and operations, algebra thinking, geometry and measurement, and data analysis and probability. Graphic characters have been shown to be attractive and effective by engaging students – consciously or unconsciously –with illustrated images using realistic language and behavior.

 

Throughout the series, vivid, colorful drawings are matched with spirited, comic book repartee among the characters. Inspired by the true story of a young student and his sister who trekked across America to win a national mathematics competition, MiddleMaths’s authentic characters create models of grit and intelligence.