The Fly on the Ceiling

That is one pesky fly! Kids will love this funny and very accessible myth about the real-life historical figure who popularized the Cartesian system of coordinates. You won't believe how he did it!

Recognized as the father of analytic geometry, René Descartes was a French mathematician and philosopher. So how could a fly lead to an important math discovery? Read this imaginative Step 4 and find out!

Step 4 Readers use challenging vocabulary and short paragraphs to tell exciting stories. For newly independent readers who read simple sentences with confidence.DR. JULIE GLASS is a professor and Chair of the Mathematics department at California State East Bay. She lives in California with her family.