Sir Cumference &
the First Roundtable

Author: Cindy Neuschwander

Publisher/Date: Charlesbridge Publishing, 1997

ISBN: 1-57091-152-5

Grade Levels Recommended for Use: 6-10

Brief Summary: Assisted by his knight, Sir Cumference, King Arthur finds the perfect shape for his table.

Topics: geometric shapes, construction, deconstruction, spatial visualization

Suggested Activities:

Shape recognition and spatial visualization:

a. Hand out paper rectangles that model the long rectangular table that the Knight's used on the first day of their meetings.

b. Tell students to use the rectangles to make the other geometric shapes mentioned in the book as you read the book aloud to them.

c. Ask students if they can make a square out of their rectangle?

d. Continue reading the book up to the point at which Lady Di suggests a diamond-shaped table.

e. Show students the illustration in the book and ask whether they can make a parallelogram that is not a square. Diamond shape is not a geometric term with a specific definition.

f. Instruct students to fold and cut along one diagonal of their squares.

g. Students then put the two resulting triangles together to form the diamond-shaped table: a non-square parallelogram.

h. As the story progresses, all the shapes suggested for the best possible table are ruled out because of their geometric attributes.

i. Goal of the book is to provide a table that would give each person the same amount of room.

j. Use the book to guide the students in making a regular octagon.

k. Continue to read the story to the point at which Sir Cumference orders the carpenter to build an egg-shaped table.

l. Students then cut an oval shape from the octagon.

m. Finish the lesson by reading the rest of the story.

n. The best shape for the table is a circle.