Let me tell you a story, young ones,
Of numbers and fractions and fun,
A tale of calculation and more,
And how to keep score like never before.

The statistician was a wise old soul,
Who loved to count and keep control,
He taught us of ratios and decimals too,
And how to calculate with great ado.

The denominator, he said with a grin,
Is the bottom number, let's begin,
It's the number that tells us how many parts,
And helps us make sense of all these arts.

The lowest common denominator, he explained,
Is the smallest number that can be obtained,
From all the denominators we have at hand,
To make our calculations oh so grand.

And then there's the earned run average,
A statistic abysmal, but don't be savage,
It tells us how well a pitcher has done,
And helps us keep score in baseball fun.

So, young ones, remember these words,
And keep them close like a song of birds,
For numbers and math can be such fun,
When you know how to calculate like everyone.

Reflections

1. What is a denominator and how does it help us understand fractions?
2. Can you think of any other sports where we use statistics to keep score?
3. What is the earned run average and why is it important in baseball?
4. How can learning about calculations and ratios help us in our everyday lives?
5. What was your favorite part of the story and why?