Based on the belief that giving students opportunities to think and solve problems independently is the best way to help them enjoy learning, this book provides guidelines and learning activities to help students in grades kindergarten through 8 to solve problems in all subject matter areas of the curriculum. Chapter 1 provides a rationale for…

This submission contains the Proceedings of the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group (CMESG), held at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland. The CMESG is a group of mathematicians and mathematics educators who meet annually to discuss mathematics education issues at all levels of learning.…

The Math Forum is an online resource center for pre-algebra, algebra, geometry and pre-calculus. Its Virtual Math Teams (VMT) service provides an integrated web-based environment for small teams of people to discuss math and to work collaboratively on math problems or explore interesting mathematical micro-worlds together. The VMT Project studies…

The purpose of this article is to present a collection of problems that allow students to investigate magic squares and Latin squares, formulate their own conjectures about these mathematical objects, look for arguments supporting or disproving their conjectures, and finally establish and prove mathematical assertions. Each problem is completed…

This article describes how to incorporate problem-solving investigations in a fourth-grade classroom within a structured and rigid mathematics program.

Alex F. Osborn's group brainstorming treatment remains the most frequently applied procedure for the creative generation of ideas despite considerable evidence that demonstrates its ineffectiveness. This paper synthesizes many findings that challenge the premise that Osborn's traditional "group" brainstorming treatment is the optimal…

The paper argues that a relationship between visualization and mathematical problem solving ability exists. Research suggests that visual imagery leads to increased understanding of mathematical concepts at both the primary and secondary levels. Mathematical potential is not necessarily "born." Potential can be created in the least likely students…

One of a series of workplace education modules, this 6-week module presents activities and materials designed to lead participants through a systematic approach to problem-solving in the workplace. Following a brief overview, indicating that the module emphasizes five phases in problem-solving (i.e., using key problem-solving concepts, identifying…

This booklet is a collection of 45 problems that have appeared in the Problem Department of the journal "School Science and Mathematics." The booklet is divided into four parts. The first part presents 20 cryptarithms, puzzles in which letters or symbols are substituted for the digits in an arithmetical calculation, that require knowledge of…

Two instructors at Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts have developed a unit of study designed to teach biology as a process, improve students' critical thinking and reasoning skills, and provide students with the opportunity to express these skills in writing. The instructional strategies employed in the unit are superimposed on a…

Intended for use by teachers who are concerned with making effective responses to conflict in the classroom, this booklet describes the nature of adolescent conflict and the differences between conflict, competition, and cooperation. The theory section of this work analyzes some of the major concepts and research findings emphasized in the study…

Maintains that young children can develop creative problem-solving skills through such music activities as finger plays and action songs, music games, writing words for songs, and composing melodies. Also suggests ways that teachers can establish and maintain an environment that enables children to solve problems creatively through music. (BB)

One way to engage students in grades 7 through 12 is to encourage them to investigate history as a puzzle, a set of dilemmas, a collection of conflicting viewpoints in short, a mysterious and provocative subject. In this book a collection of cases have been assembled both real mysteries and purposely constructed classroom problems with techniques…

Designed to help youngsters with real-world learning, and with being a smart consumer, this book focuses on having students participate in decisions facing consumers every day. The book contends that this is the best way to help students think critically and solve problems. Activities in the book require students to make consumer decisions related…