Connections: Probability: A Whale of a Tale

Dear Mr. Blueberry (James 1996) is often used by elementary school teachers to help students learn language arts. In the book, Mr. Blueberry's student Emily writes postcards to her teacher when she finds a whale in her backyard pond over the summer. Mr. Blueberry responds in writing with many reasons why a whale could not possibly live in Emily's backyard. Although this book has long been a favorite for its language arts connections, it also has the potential to introduce probability concepts and vocabulary in the upper elementary school grades.