Math in

Wonderland

.
.

+x

John Tenniel, Alice Croquet. Proof wood engraving produced by the Dalziel Brothers for
Alices Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.197

Photograph of Lewis Carroll.

Charles L. Dodgson, self-portrait,
inscribed to Emily Kerr, [1875].
2006.0635

Photograph of the Lidell sisters.

Charles L. Dodgson, Open your mouth and bob
for a cherry, photograph [1860]. 2006.0655

Lewis Carroll wrote the books Alices Adventures

in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.
He came up with the stories to entertain Lorina,
Alice & Edith Liddell. Lewis Carroll worked with
Lorina, Alice & Ediths father at the University of
Oxford in England. He first told the story to the
girls when they were all on a boat trip together.
Eventually the stories got written down and
many, many copies have been printed since then
for kids all over the world.

John Tenniel, Chess Board. Produced for Through the Looking Glass. [1870]
John Tenniel,Through the Looking Glass. Preliminary drawing for Alices Adventures in
Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.0028

In Alices Adventures in Wonderland, a sevenyear-old girl named Alice follows a rabbit down
his rabbit hole and arrives at a strange place
called Wonderland where she meets all sorts of
wacky characters. In the second book, Through
the Looking Glass, Alice, who is now eight years
old, steps through a mirror in her house and
finds herself on a giant chess board.

The Rosenbach, a museum and library near

Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, owns some
very old copies of Alices Adventures in Wonderland
and some of the drawings that were created by
John Tenniel to go in the book.The Rosenbach
also has a little comic book that Lewis Carroll
made when he was a teenager! You can come
visit the Rosenbach to see these things. From
October, 2015 to May 2016, the Rosenbach
will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of
Alices Adventures in Wonderland with exhibitions
and festivities. You can find out more at
www.rosenbach.org.

Charles L. Dodgson, page from Picture Book, pen and ink drawing and watercolor. [1844]. EL3 D645 MS2

Besides being a writer and artist, Lewis Carroll

was also a mathematician and a scientist.
He taught math classes to college students at
Oxford University and was always trying to come
up with fun math games to help his students
and other kids learn. He also loved taking
pictures with his camera. Because Lewis
Carroll was taking pictures 150 years ago, his
camera was very complicated and he had to
know a lot of science to make it work right.

Charles L. Dodgson, page from Picture Book, pen and ink drawing and watercolor. [1844]. EL3 D645 MS2

Add It Up:
Alice Just Doesnt Fit In!
Most appropriate for students in grades 2 and 3

At the beginning of Alices Adventures in Wonderland, Alice follows a rabbit

through a tunnel and arrives in a strange room with lots of doors and all of them
are locked. She sees a 27-inch table with a tiny golden key which fits into a lock
on a door that is only 15 inches high. Even though Alice is able to unlock the door,
she cant fit through because she is 54 inches high! So, she kneels down to look
through the door and sees a beautiful garden. She is so frustrated that she cant
get in there! She stands back up, annoyed, and notices a little bottle with a label
that says drink me. Alice cant resist. She takes a sip and immediately feels
very strange. She realizes that she as shrunk by 44 inches!
Can Alice fit through the door that is 15 inches high?

l Yes

l No

When she realizes that shes small enough to fit through the door, she hurries
back to the 27-inch table where shes left the key.
But can she reach the key?

l Yes

l No

When she discovers she is not tall enough to reach the key, she sits down on the
floor and cries. But then she sees a small cake sitting under the table. She
gobbles it up hoping that maybe it will make her big enough to reach the key.
And it does! She grows by 98 inches! She rushes to the table to grab the key.
But can she fit into the door?

l Yes

l No

John Tenniel,A little door. Preliminary drawing for Alices Adventures in Wonderland
[1864 or 65]. 1954.213

Alices Adventures
in Multiplication
Most appropriate for students in grade 3

After Alice follows the rabbit down his tunnel and arrives in a strange hallway, she
drinks some liquid that makes her shrink to 10 inches and then eats a cake that
makes her grow to be 108 inches. With all the growing and shrinking, she starts to
worry that her brain might have stopped working. So, she tests herself by trying
to do some math in her head.
Alice thinks:

4 x 5 = 12
4 x 6 = 13
Is Alice correct?

l Yes

l No

What are the correct answers?

AND HOW ABOUT SOME MORE MULTIPLICATION, JUST FOR FUN?

Alice has 5 cakes. The white rabbit has 4 times more
cakes than Alice. How many cakes does the white rabbit have?
The white rabbit has 6 buttons on his waistcoat. Alice has
3 times more buttons on her dress than the white rabbit has on
his waistcoat. How many buttons does Alice have on her dress?

John Tenniel, What Will Become of Me. Preliminary drawing for

Alices Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.0053

Logic Puzzles

The logic puzzle was invented by Lewis Carroll. He wrote a whole book
of logic puzzles for kids. At the start of the book, he gives us this great advice
about solving difficult problems:
When you come to any passage you dont understand, read it again; if you still dont
understand it, read it again; if you fail even after three readings, very likely your brain
is getting a little tired. In that case, put the book away, and take to other occupations,
and next day, when you come to it fresh, you will very likely find that it is quite easy.
See if you can solve this logic puzzle. Four people from Alice in Wonderland
have a favorite animal. Can you figure out each persons favorite animal
using these clues?
1. Alice does not like mammals or birds
2. The mad hatter does not like pink birds, white animals or insects
3. The white knight only likes animals with large ears

John Tenniel, Sit Down All of You. Preliminary

drawing for Alices Adventures in Wonderland.
[1864 or 65]. 1954.0183

John Tenniel, Mad Hatter. Proof wood engraving

produced by the Dalziel Brothers for Alices
Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.0214

John Tenniel, White Rabbit as the herald.

Preliminary drawing for Alices Adventures in
Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.0180

John Tenniel, Alice Croquet. Proof wood engraving produced by the Dalziel Brothers for Alices
Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.208

John Tenniel, Alice and the White Knight.

Preliminary drawing for Alices Adventures in
Wonderland [1864 or 65]. 1954.0031

John Tenniel, Off With Her Head. Proof wood

engraving produced by the Dalziel Brothers for
Alices Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65].
1954.0196

John Tenniel, Alice and the Caterpillar.

Illustration produced for Alices Adventures in
Wonderland [1864 or 65]

Answer Key
The mad hatter likes the Dodo bird best
The white knight likes the white rabbit best
Alice likes the caterpillar best
The Queen of Hearts likes the flamingo best

QUEEN
OF
HEARTS
ALICE
THE
WHITE
KNIGHT
THE
MAD
HATTER
FLAMINGO

DODO BIRD

CATERPILLAR

WHITE RABBIT

Reading List
Lewis Carroll, Alices Adventures in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Lewis Carroll, The Mathematical Recreations of Lewis Carroll: Pillow Problems
and a Tangled Tale (Dover Recreational Math)
Richard Wolfrick Galland, Lewis Carrolls Puzzles in Wonderland
Raymond M. Smullyan, Alice in Puzzle-Land: A Carrollian Tale for Children Under Eighty
Edward Wakeling, Lewis Carrolls Games and Puzzles
Edward Wakeling, Rediscovered Lewis Carroll Puzzles

Win a Day with Dr. Mae!

Dr. Mae C. Jemison blasted into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle
Endeavor in 1992 and was the first woman of color in space. She is
also a medical doctor, engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
Watch NBC10 this fall for more details on how your school can
win a visit from Dr. Mae.
Be sure to visit msms.bayer.us for fun summer experiments!
This activity book was generously sponsored by Bayer.

Back cover: John Tenniel, White Rabbit as the herald. Proof wood engraving produced
by the Dalziel Brothers for Alices Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.0180
Front cover: John Tenniel, Mad Hatters Tea Party. Proof wood engraving produced by
the Dalziel Brothers for Alices Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.0192

GHI Design

Opposite: John Tenniel, White Rabbit with Pocket Watch. Preliminary drawing for
Alices Adventures in Wonderland. [1864 or 65]. 1954.8182

GHI Design