Measurement experiences can promote and illustrate number work in an intuitively satisfying way. Some current practices that are counterproductive for developing number sense and some alternative strategies that are more constructive are included in discussions of the approximate nature of measurement, realistic measurement, and work with rational…

Presented are activities which give practice in making estimates, gathering data, and checking the reasonableness of results. (TG)

Described is an activity where base-10 blocks are used to develop students' skills in reading, writing, and visualizing large numbers. An activity sheet that helps students with decimal points is included. (KR)

Activities for teaching mathematics in kindergarten through grade 8 are included in this guide. Both original ideas and ideas gleaned from various sources, including teachers in the district, are presented. The introduction briefly discusses the importance of developing understanding of concepts, processes, and relationships, the need for…

A study explored the effectiveness of an instructional approach designed to help students establish connections between their understanding of the decimal system and the stardard symbols and procedural rules used to solve decimal problems. Ten children each in grades 4 through 6 participated. They were individually interviewed prior to and six…

This instructional manual consists of 11 competency-based units for a mathematics course for trade and industrial programs in Texas. Each instructional unit includes the following basic components: unit and specific objectives, notes to the instructor (outline of steps to follow in accomplishing specific objectives), information sheets,…

This math curriculum guide, correlated with the numerical coding of the Math Skills List published by the Migrant Student Record Transfer System, covers 10 learning areas: readiness, number meaning, whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percent, measurement, geometry, probability and statistics, and sets. Each exercise is illustrated by a large…

A proof is given of the irrationality of the square root of 2 which depends on notions of terminating and repeating decimals. (MP)

This unit is 1 of 12 developed for the university classroom portion of the Mathematics-Methods Program (MMP), created by the Indiana University Mathematics Education Development Center (MEDC) as an innovative program for the mathematics training of prospective elementary school teachers (PSTs). Each unit is written in an activity format that…

A variety of suggestions for making the mathematics curriculum more meaningful and interesting to students are described. Activities that incorporate real-world situations are provided for verbal items, common and decimal fractions, estimations and rounding off numbers, large and small numbers, geometry, probability, and statistics. (KR)

Mathematics activities and facts related to pi are presented in this issue of "Student Math Notes." Included are: (1) an exercise based on Buffon's needle problem in which pieces of toothpicks are dropped onto a ruled surface; (2) a calculation of pi to 200 decimal places; (3) exercises related to Biblical and ancient Chinese…

This section presents materials to reinforce computational skills involving fractions and decimals using an Olympic Games setting. Four worksheets are included for levels 1 through 8. (MNS)

Ancient numeration systems form the basis for these worksheets. (SD)

Four worksheets are provided for developing decimal concepts. For levels 1-2, dollars and cents is the focus; for levels 4-5, tenths and hundredths; for levels 5-7, comparing and ordering decimals; and for levels 6-8, estimating with decimals. Teaching suggestions are included. (MNS)

Activities are presented to give students a picture of decimal concepts of tenths and hundredths. Three models (linear, regional, and value) are described, followed by four activities. (MNS)