Middle school mathematics teachers often do not emphasise statistics and geometry in their lesson plans for a variety of reasons. However, these are integral topics in mathematics, and using direct lecture or hands-on activities may have different effects on teacher confidence when approaching these subjects. Using qualitative and quantitative…

This paper brings together research on slope from mathematics education and research on line of best fit from statistics education by considering what knowledge of slope students transfer to a novel task involving determining the placement of an informal line of best fit. This study focuses on two students who transitioned from placing inaccurate…

A classic TV commercial once asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?" The narrator claims, "The world may never know" (Tootsie Roll 2012), but an Internet search returns a multitude of answers, some of which include rigorous systematic approaches by academics to address the…

"Mathematical Thinking: From Assessment Items to Challenging Tasks" is a compilation of 36 problem-based lessons that encourage students to engage in productive struggle and deep thinking. Its 36 full-length lessons for grades 2-8 are each inspired by an actual test item from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).…

In this article, Derek Hurrell, points out that while it's easy to fall into the impression that the proficiency strand "Fluency" is all about knowing basic number facts in all its many and splendid ways. He add it is easy to overlook, that within Fluency there are requirements that are based in Algebra; Measurement and Geometry; and…

This article describes an investigation of Buffon's coin problem and related problems with the aid of an applet. The problems are accessible at a variety of grade levels and facilitate making connections between geometry and probability.

In providing a continued focus on tasks and activities that help to illustrate key ideas embedded in the new Australian Curriculum, this issue the authors focus, on Geometry in the Measurement and Geometry strand with strong links for an integrated focus on the Statistics and Probability strand. The small unit of work on the sorting and…

The theme of the 38th meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME 38) and the 36th meeting of the North American Chapter of the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME-NA 36) was "Mathematics Education at the Edge." Academically, the theme provides opportunities to highlight and examine…

This book helps teachers define good questions, offers tips on how to create their own good questions, and includes a wide variety of questions for use in the classroom. Each chapter of the book is organized by subject area and age group so that teachers can locate the topic their class is working on, then select probing, thought-provoking…

This book aims to present helpful, practical ideas and suggestions for mathematics teaching. Focus is on how teaching can be developed in a Rudolf Steiner (Waldorf) School and includes treatment of mathematical topics applicable to the 7-14 age group. Suggestions for curriculum and examples for children to work on are presented with a very wide…

This book provides dozens of carefully prepared letters for parents in English and Spanish that teachers can send home weekly. Each of the 40 letters focuses on direct and easy-to-implement mathematics activities that can be incorporated regularly into a family's daily routine without turning the home into a school away from school. The letters…

This book features a set of problems assembled to reflect the criteria of the mathematics portion of the North Carolina High School Comprehensive Test. The problems are not necessarily suited to timed situations but rather are intended for classroom use by teachers to review high school mathematics and build upon concepts and skills developed in…

Mathematics has become increasingly important in this technological age. That is why it is even more important for children to learn mathematics at home as well as in school. This second edition of "Helping Your Children Learn Math" is for parents of children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It has been revised to include a variety of…

Mathematics has become increasingly important in this technological age. That is why it is even more important for children to learn mathematics at home as well as in school. This second edition of Helping Your Children Learn Math is for parents of children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It has been revised to include a variety of activities…

Presents an activity on probability and area in which students try to decide which door to buy. (ASK)