Investigates the problem of finding the expected number of questions necessary to identify 1 out of a set of 30 attribute blocks. Solutions include the use of a tree diagram or a computer simulation. Generalizes the problem for increased numbers of attributes. (MDH)

Offers examples of games and problem-solving strategies to help students solve word problems in mathematics. Emphasizes the importance of first considering the question the word problem poses and using game techniques to teach students how to transfer those same strategies to solve different math problems. (TJQ)

The influence of reading comprehension level on solving verbally expressed arithmetic problems was studied with 12 students (ages 8 to 12) who were prelingually and profoundly deaf. Reading comprehension level was related to students' problem-solving level. Verbal arithmetic problems contained linguistic forms that were difficult for deaf…

Discusses the creed in symmetry and the omnipresence of symmetrical relationships in mathematics and nature, discusses mathematicians' attraction toward looking for symmetrical relationships as an unstated problem-solving heuristic, and shows how symmetry can be used as a didactical tool. (Author/MKR)

United States has produced a generation of students who engage in problem solving without regard for common sense or the text of the problem. Three factors bear the blame: societal beliefs about mathematics, the typical math curriculum, and deficiencies in teacher preparation. New conceptions about learning should help spawn curriculum,…

Looks at the solution to the mathematical-modeling problem asking students to find the smallest percent of the popular vote needed to elect a President. Provides assumptions from which to work the problem. (MDH)

Considered is the open-ended question of the various means of marking an n-inch ruler so that the distance of any integral number of inches from 1 to n can be ascertained with a single measurement. The relationship between a sparsely marked ruler, which is one gracefully marked with the fewest number of marks, and specific discrete graphs is…

Discusses diagrams and problem solvers' constructions of a problem situation, how the way of drawing changes during the problem-solving process, and the meaning and sense of diagrams. (Contains 15 references.) (MKR)

Discusses four major issues related to the mathematics curriculum and what research says about each of them, namely questions of content, tracking, problem-based curricula, and the role of proof. (23 references) (MKR)

Shares detailed episodes of children's work in repeatedly partitioning geometric shapes to highlight the process of recursion, which can lead to a deeper understanding of imagination and beauty in children's mathematics. (MKR)

Presents literature-based elementary mathematics activities for the primary and intermediate grades. The activites are adapted from "Math and Literature, K-3," by the author of this article. (SM)

Presented are five scenarios of how division might be introduced to a class of third graders using experiences with the concept, process, and symbolism of division rather than algorithms. Instruction that makes problem solving the emphasis of students' learning is described. (KR)

Recounts a teacher's experiences with a small group of elementary school students as they explore different forms of the combinatorics problem of choosing two out of five objects. Describes how students examine the connections between the problems and a proof of the relationship. (MDH)

Presents an experiment carried out at the University of Groningen where pretest-posttest design was used including two experimental conditions with the graphics calculator (TI-81) and one control condition without the calculator. Results point toward a change in teacher instructional behavior and in pupils' problem-solving approaches. Contains 14…

Mathematics plays an exceptionally important role in biological education and the history of biology. Ten equations and descriptions of their historical importance are presented to draw students' and faculty's attention to mathematical models that have been intrinsic to many of the significant discoveries in biology in the 20th century. Each…