Presents mathematics questions to analyze what advertisements are saying mathematically. (ASK)

Discusses ways teachers can encourage students to construct useful meanings for the fractional unit. Provides three examples of representations of common fractions and illustrates misconceptions in fraction problems. Includes a brief summary of constructivist mathematics education and an example in which a teacher misunderstands a fractional unit.…

Discusses the changes in the scanning of food and the current use of computer technology and UPC bar codes in a grocery store and traces the history of calculating tools from the use of fingers, abacus, slide rule, calculators, and computers. Includes reproducible student activity sheets. (MKR)

Examines the use of a ratio table for developing students' conceptual understanding of rational number. The ratio table is an alternative to cross-multiplication and can utilize both additive and multiplicative strategies. It organizes numbers and keeps track of operations and results, which aids the teacher in assessment. (MLB)