Initial exposure to algebraic thinking involves the critical leap from working with numbers to thinking with variables. The transition to thinking mathematically using variables has many layers, and for all students an abstraction that is clear in one setting may be opaque in another. Geometric counting and the resulting algebraic patterns provide…

This article draws out many mathematical ideas connected with a familiar game often used by middle school teachers. (Contains 5 figures and 1 table.)

This reprinted "Mathematics Teacher" article gives a brief history of the mathematics of Escher's art. (Contains 9 plates.)

Pattern work is now undertaken as early as kindergarten, and both researchers and teachers have discovered that children engage in pattern work with great enthusiasm and innate ability. Having some flexibility in pattern perception and selecting mathematically useful patterns require some training, although there is nothing particularly algebraic…

Describes a card trick that provides opportunities for students to discover patterns, work with variables, create tables, and ponder mathematics. Students at various levels of ability are able to enjoy the trick, and mathematical discourse is promoted within the classroom. (AIM)