Many elementary schools across the nation are scaling back or cutting arts curriculum altogether. This article presents classroom teachers with an activity for integrating art with mathematics. Through a three-phase exploration of reasoning with shapes and their attributes, students will get to know a classmate better, work with defining and…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM's) "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" (2000) outlines fi ve Process Standards that are essential for developing deep understanding of mathematics: (1) Problem Solving; (2) Reasoning and Proof; (3) Communication; (4) Connections; and (5) Representation. The Common Core…

Children live in a highly sophisticated world composed of interlocking complex systems. An appreciation and understanding of such systems is critical for making effective decisions about everyone's lives as individuals and as community members. This article addresses one approach to introducing children of all achievement levels to introductory…

Discusses ways to use cooking to teach kindergartners about science, language, reading, geography, and mathematics, including number sense, numeration concepts, geometric shapes, and measurement skills. Tips on cooking in class and several recipes are given. (MTE)

Presents an interdisciplinary unit that integrates mathematics, social studies, and technology to collect and analyze data about the fifty states. (MKR)

Presents a position statement on interdisciplinary learning and guiding principles for preK-4 curricula endorsed by the NCTM Board of Directors. Guiding principles include using meaningful connections among disciplines, fostering collaborative learning environments, developing democratic citizenship, providing a variety of social contexts,…

Describes a multicultural and multidisciplinary classroom activity involving the mathematics of flags. Activities are related to geometry and spatial sense, linear and area measurement, fractions, and basic arithmetic. Venn diagrams are introduced as a way to organize information to simplify understanding. This experience supports whole-language…

Describes strategies for using literature to teach number sense and problem solving. Reports that the rich class discussions reflected some of the students' thinking, gave students opportunities to share their approaches and understandings, and gave the teacher additional insights into students' thinking. (JRH)

Describes a cooperative learning project with fourth-grade teachers and students. Discusses the K-W-D-L technique (what we know-what we want to know-what we did-what we learned) for mathematical problem solving. Concludes that having students write about their problem-solving experiences connects mathematics and communication skills and enhances…

Describes the Math Pals program which emphasized mathematics communication, allowed students to become active problem solvers with a pal in a different school, and gave students a multicultural experience. (JRH)

Describes the use of the Internet to investigate mathematical problems, create and share information, discover patterns and relationships, and find out more about the world. This unit investigates pet ownership and introduces children to telecommunications, the use of the computer as a tool, and scientific research methods. Other units address…

Describes a classroom project integrating children's literature, Japanese culture, and geometry that grew out of the local killing of a Japanese exchange student. Fourth-graders read "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" around which the interdisciplinary unit was developed. Topics covered included Japanese culture, American social…