Middle school students need opportunities to craft informal mathematical arguments beyond justification of steps in an algorithm. Pentominoes provide an excellent vehicle for such activity. In this article, the authors describe an exploration with pentominoes that engaged a group of ninth-grade students in proportional reasoning, dilation, and…

Students appear to be able to see number relationships and patterns but have difficulty recognizing the visual properties of shapes, especially if the shapes are in different positions. Their difficulty in the visual and spatial realm is often linked to a lack of drawing experience and possibly undeveloped fine-motor skills. The author, as a…

This article describes how spatial instruction with preservice teachers can be implemented in a middle-grades mathematics methods class. A "Reflect and Discuss" section is included for professional development study. (Contains 4 figures.)

This article illustrates how to integrate mathematics with social issues. Social issues discussed in the newspaper provide a rich context for connecting mathematical activities to the real world. The sample activities focus on measurement concepts. (Contains 2 figures.)