The difference between estimation (the mental skill of making an educated guess) and approximation (finding a result precise enough for a specific purpose) is discussed. (MNS)

The calculator is used in conjunction with the measurement of the sides of right triangles to discover the Pythagorean property. (MP)

This annotated bibliography includes activities with calculators in the areas of computational skills, geometry, measurement, number pattern recognition, and probability. (MK)

Describes six crystallographic programs which have been developed to illustrate the range of usefulness of programmable calculators in providing computational assistance in chemical analysis. These programs are suitable for the analysis of x-ray diffraction data in the laboratory by students. (HM)

The twenty-two essays on problem solving included in this publication give ideas and examples for use in the classroom at all levels of instruction. Topics discussed in the essays include but are not limited to: problem posing, clues from research, story problems, calculators, textbook problems, and measuring problem solving. Polya's heuristics as…

Included are several general principles pertaining to the uses, applications, and accuracy of significant digits when mathematical computations are performed with calculators. Examples are provided that illustrate how misunderstandings can arise from the misapplication of these principles. (JJK)

Issues in school mathematics programs are considered in this book. In the first section, mathematics education at the start of the decade is examined through two articles: a discussion of the status of mathematics programs and of prospects for the 80s, and an interpretation of the results of the second national mathematics assessment of the…

This compilation of reprinted activities is organized into five sections around the following topics: computational skills, calculators, geometry, measurement, and problem solving. The "Activities" section has been a regular feature of the Mathematics Teacher since 1972, and space limitations prohibited the inclusion of all previously published…

This report on the Adult Math Skills Project includes sections on theory, empirical studies, and their implications. Section 1 presents an overview, noting that activity and setting are seen as mutually creating, sustaining, and changing the nature of problem solving. The empirical studies involved: (1) arithmetic practices among grocery shoppers;…

Developed for use in teaching a two-semester, one-unit course, this course guide is intended to aid the high school instructor in teaching mathematical problem-solving and computational skills to vocational education students. The state-adopted textbook for general mathematics III, "Applied General Mathematics" serves as the major…

This instructor's guide consists of materials for use in teaching a course in technical mathematics designed for students enrolled in postsecondary vocational and technical education programs. Included in the guide are 32 units organized into the following broad topic areas: whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, measures, tables and…

The goal of this book is to help students make sense of mathematics and become confident in their ability to do so. Section 1: "Foundations of Teaching Mathematics," includes chapters entitled: (1) "Teaching Mathematics: Reflections and Directions"; (2) "Exploring What It Means to Do Mathematics"; (3) "Developing Understanding in Mathematics"; (4)…

The Second International Mathematics Study (SIMS) of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) was conducted in 20 countries on two sampled populations: Population A of 13-year-olds and Population B of students studying mathematics in their final year of secondary school. Mathematics achievement was measured…