Grade 2 Math Book · Multiplication & Division
Two of Everything
by Lily Toy Hong
Mr. Haktak digs up an old brass pot. Whatever falls in comes out doubled: one coin purse becomes two, five coins become ten. Things get silly when Mrs. Haktak falls in too!
Why it's useful
A folktale that turns doubling into something kids can picture and predict.
- Doubles facts. 1 + 1, 5 + 5, 10 + 10 come straight from the story.
- Input and output. The pot is a natural first look at a rule: put something in, get double out.
- Mental math. Doubles are a key strategy for addition facts (6 + 7 is double 6 plus 1).
Try it in class or at home
- Magic pot machine. Put counters in a box and pull out double. Kids predict before you reveal.
- Doubles chart. Record what goes in and what comes out, and look for the pattern.
- Near doubles. If 6 + 6 = 12, what is 6 + 7? Use the pot to explain.