Teachers often use number talks at the beginning of class to hear the ways that students understand mathematical topics so that they can base future instruction on student thinking. Students who engage in number talks become accustomed to thinking about mathematics in multiple ways, sharing their thoughts and critiquing the thoughts of others. The…

Research shows that playing games in the classroom improves students' attitudes toward mathematics, increases motivation to practice skills inside and outside the classroom, and increases learning by encouraging students of all levels to participate. Rutherford asserts that playing games encourages strategic mathematical thinking and supports…

Students are faced with many transitions in their middle school mathematics classes. To build knowledge, skills, and confidence in the key areas of algebra and geometry, students often need to practice using numbers and polygons in a variety of contexts. Teachers also want students to explore ideas from probability and statistics. Teachers know…

In the author's experience with this activity, students struggle with the idea of representativeness in probability. Therefore, this student misconception is part of the classroom discussion about the activities in this lesson. Representativeness is related to the (incorrect) idea that outcomes that seem more random are more likely to happen. This…

Modeling using mathematics and making inferences about mathematical situations are becoming more prevalent in most fields of study. Descriptive statistics cannot be used to generalize about a population or make predictions of what can occur. Instead, inference must be used. Simulation and sampling are essential in building a foundation for…

Instead of reserving the study of probability and statistics for special fourth-year high school courses, the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) takes a "statistics for all" approach. The standards recommend that students in grades 6-8 learn to summarize and describe data distributions, understand probability, draw…

In education, it is common to set aside older curriculum documents when newer ones are released. In fact, some instructional leaders have encouraged the "out with the old, in with the new" process by asking teachers to turn in all copies of the older document. Doing so makes sense when the old curriculum document is incompatible with the new.…

Statistics is the art and science of gathering, analyzing, and making conclusions from data. However, many people do not fully understand how to interpret statistical results and conclusions. Placing students in a collaborative environment involving project-based learning may enable them to overcome misconceptions of probability and enhance the…

Draws on recent events in Major League Baseball to illustrate the relationship between experimental and theoretical probability. (Author)

Presents a dice game that students can use as a basis for exploring mathematical probabilities and making decisions while they also exercise skills in multiplication, pattern identification, proportional thinking, and communication. (ASK)

This article describes four hands-on activities that can be used to develop probabilistic and statistical thinking in the middle grades. (Contains 3 figures and 1 table.)

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

Presents a game called Push-Penny, played by pushing a coin and having it land on a line, used to teach students to develop intuitive feelings for the consequences of randomness, including data handling and the construction and use of tables and graphs. (ASK)

Describes a mathematics fair prepared by the University of Missouri Mathematics Teachers Organization (UM2TO) which includes games involving numbers and computation, logic puzzles, geometry and spatial-visualization exploration, and probability and statistics activities. Presents tips for developing a mathematics fair. (ASK)