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…

Measurement is an important component of K-grade 12 mathematics curricula. The concepts of area and perimeter of polygons are first introduced in third grade and serve as the basis for teaching in the upper grades. Without a strong understanding of measurement, students will struggle to meaningfully grasp three-dimensional measurement concepts…

Geometry is the branch of mathematics that addresses spatial sense and geometric reasoning. Students begin to understand geometry through direct interaction with their physical world. Because it is the study of the physical attributes of the environment, geometry has relevance for every student; the world becomes a big classroom. As students see,…

This article showcases the benefits of the alliance the authors have established during the past two years with the Barnes Foundation to add more mathematics activities to their repertoire and to integrate more art into their mathematics lessons. Recently, they decided to focus on activities at the K-grade 2 level that could be used as an on-site…

Whether they are third graders or teacher candidates, students can learn about perimeter and area while having fun manipulating two-dimensional figures into three-dimensional objects. In this article, the author describes a common mathematical activity for geometry students by creating nets for a cube. By making connections between nets in two…

A whimsical mathematics event for children and adults, derived from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was held at the Providence Children's Museum in Rhode Island. NCTM's Standards were the basis of all the activities. (Contains 10 figures and 1 table.)

Describes how students use crazy cars to confirm that the sum of measures of the angles of any triangle is 180 degrees. (Author)

Suggests using literature to study geometry and presents activities on the book "Sitting in My Box." (Author/NB)

Provides activities focusing on students' use of manipulatives to demonstrate understanding. (Author)

Presents responses to the Mathematics of Motion problem which includes estimating the area of shapes on grid paper. (Author/YDS)

Presents a variety of activities in which 4th grade students investigate prisms and pyramids by building models from folded paper and drinking straws. (Author/NB)

Presents the Shape Search problem to develop student visualization. Focuses attention on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Geometry Standard. (Author/NB)

Examines activities and children's thinking in four main areas of the Geometry Standard in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics": (1) properties of shapes; (2) locations and spatial relationships; (3) transformations and symmetry; and (4) visualization. (Author)

The author recounts experiences introducing a first grade class to the concept of symmetry. The lesson includes activities for developing recognition of objects that have symmetry as well as visualization of both horizontal and vertical lines of symmetry.

Describes how students connect culture and mathematics by using tessellating and symmetrical patterns in the designs of architecture, pottery, blankets, and baskets as models to create geometric designs for a quilt. (Author/YDS)