Everyone has seen the classic word problem: Dave has 9 marbles, Sue has 6 marbles, and Greg has 4 marbles. Of the total number of marbles, what percentage of the marbles does Dave have?

For many of us, we immediately launch into solving the problem. We add the total number of marbles and start scribbling down the calculations. But for a large group of students, they literally just don't get the point. In their minds many are thinking, "Why in the world do I have to do this?" We can try to coax them with candy, gum, even good grades, but without authentic purpose, as teachers, we won't get the results we desire. So what next? Enter story-time. Really. Take a word problem, add characters and a rich plot, and end with a math problem to negotiate the challenge in the story and you've engaged the kids' imagination and their hearts.

Before it's dismissed, it's worth knowing that the learning architecture for story is ages old- for hundreds, thousands, even millions of years, it's been a fundamental pedagogy.

In modern day, however, it's almost taboo to have true story embedded as part of math class. I think this is due in part because math has been previously defined as lacking context. In it's daily use of course, we never see math without a rich context. Taxes are a rich, story-based context with characters and plot and sometimes even great sadness. Checkbooks also. Bank accounts, loan applications, bills, re-models of the floor, etc., all are surrounded by story, plot and characters. 

In the end though, we simply can't mimic the math we encounter in daily life expect to keep the attention of students. Taxes aren't authentic for a 13 year old. But if their minds are immersed into a rich story about the spice trade and pirates in the 1600's, and taxing "their population" means they are able to "buy" a new ship, taxes become relevant and engagement soars!