This unit is intended to teach estimation skills in such a way as to be relevant and useful to students as they apply them in various problem-solving activities. The teaching activities feature the earth, exploration into space, and the other worlds in the solar system. The teacher's guide contains four modules. Module I suggests the use of…

To investigate the origins and nature of intuitive obstacles affecting the learning of elementary probability theory, 618 Italian elementary and middle school students were interviewed about their methods of solution for several problems dealing with probability. The discussion focuses on four varieties of obstacles to learning prevalent within…

The purpose of this study was to find out whether students perform differently on algebra word problems that have certain key context features and entail proportional reasoning, relative to their level of logical reasoning and their degree of field dependence/independence. Field-independent students tend to restructure and break stimuli into parts…

Utilizing word problems relevant to the field of environmental health, this workbook presents a concept-oriented approach to competency development in 14 areas of basic mathematics: (1) the expression of numbers as figures and words; (2) the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions, and decimals; (3)…

Reports part of the results of the Design, Development, and Assessment in Mathematics Education Project that tested the booklet on descriptive statistics called "Data Visualization" in six experimental algebra classes in Whitnall, Wisconsin. Describes examples of problems presented, use of cooperative learning during instruction, and…

Provides 5 activities for levels K-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and for the family that incorporate data collection and interpretation in the decision-making process. Activities investigate taste preference, voter preference, meal preference at the school open house, three close presidential elections, and questions about the years and dates of presidential…

The researcher conducted a six-month ethnographic study as an apprentice carpenter in Cape Town, South Africa, to document the valid mathematical ideas that are embedded in the everyday woodworking activities of a group of carpenters. A secondary objective was to examine and to give a firsthand account of the teaching and learning of mathematical…

This guide is designed to provide teachers with materials they can use with young women to help them to attain higher levels of mathematics achievement and to encourage them to take as many math courses as possible in high school. During their early school years, students develop skills and attitudes toward learning that form the basis of future…

One of the strengths of the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics (PCTM) is that it gives mathematicians and mathematics educators the opportunity to exchange and contribute to each other's professional growth. The topic for each yearbook is chosen to coincide with the annual PCTM meeting. This 1987 yearbook contains 14 articles which…

This document describes a mathematics course that uses the computer to solve mathematics problems. It was developed to be used with students who have completed at least one year of general mathematics or are not achieving success in the traditional mathematics program. The course is intended to review, reinforce, and extend concepts included in…

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a well established tool for formative assessment. CBM has also been used for prediction of state test scores. However, validity coefficients between math-CBM and state tests have been moderate at best (Skiba, Magnusson, Martson, and Erickson, 1986; Martson, 1989; Putnam, 1989). The purpose of the present…

This book explores current theory, research, practice, and policy in the assessment of higher order thinking in mathematics, focusing on the elementary and secondary grades. Current knowledge and research on mathematics learning and testing is synthesized. Examples of innovative test items for classroom use and state assessment programs are…

For change to occur in mathematics instruction, teachers need control of significantly different instructional sequences, evaluation schemes, and curriculum and to think beyond procedural views of mathematics. Two-week inservice and coursework separate from classroom experience are not sufficient to achieve these goals. Inservice and support must…

The Richfield Educational Assessment Program is a districtwide effort to collect specific information about the knowledge, skills, understandings, and attitudes of students in selected areas. The information collected will be used to help Richfield citizens and educators make decisions for program improvement. The program closely parallels the…

Problems ask students to calculate the pressure against a billboard in high winds and the velocity of water flowing from a reservoir through a cylindrical pipe. Problem solutions incorporate computer tools such as spreadsheets. (MDH)