In extra-curriculum activities, the nature of the instructor-learner relationship differs from that in class. This constellation, if accompanied by a smaller gap between the mathematical skills of tutor and learner, has an impact on motivational aspects and on the choice of contents in these activities: The use of problem questions of competition…

Recent publications continue to show that significant numbers of students in junior grades, while competent in basic ruler skills, seem not to have acquired important concepts about how rulers work and units of length. This paper reports on the results of a set of tasks completed by students from Grades 5 and 6. The results show that many students…

Steiner's Porism states that if you can draw a connected ring of circles in the annular region between two original circles, the ring will be successfully completed no matter where you start. This paper explores how the TI-92 graphing calculator can be used to demonstrate Steiner's Porism and illustrate the main points of its proof. Inversion in…

Increased attention has been given to issues of assessment in recent years. Teachers of mathematics have been working to change both the way they elicit evidence of their students' mathematical thinking and the way they use that evidence to monitor students' progress and guide instructional decision making. This publication is based on work done…

This book features a collection of 54 decimal number puzzles designed to provide experiences in problem solving and mathematical reasoning for middle and high school students. Each puzzle consists of a sequence of 10 clues about an unknown decimal number. The clues, when revealed one at a time, lead students through deductive reasoning to the…

This document is an extension of the Kansas Curricular Standards for Mathematics. These standards, benchmarks, and examples are intended to be used in developing curricular materials for students who are eligible for the alternative assessment. One difference in the extended mathematics standards from the general education standards is that grade…

The HeadJam series is comprised of six programs exploring mathematics, science, and critical thinking skills. It is an award-winning, educational videotape series for middle school students that explores multi-disciplinary skills in a highly entertaining way. The teacher's guide and 22-minute video, "Go Figure," demonstrate how math is…

Noting that little is known about young children's informal mathematical knowledge and that such knowledge may contribute to national differences in mathematics achievement, this study examined Taiwanese and American preschool children's informal mathematical knowledge and the type of mathematical activities they encounter in everyday life. Data…

The process of turning symbols into a mathematical sculpture has never been easier. A copy of Maple V release five and a Web browser configured with a VRML plug-in such as the Cosmo Player is necessary to do these activities. Maple V furnishes the computing environment with the capability of allowing for concentration on the mathematical…

This paper discusses a pedagogical technique called the discovery approach in teaching remedial and college algebra. Examples of how to introduce and enhance some algebra topics using this approach in mathematics classrooms are illustrated. It is argued that student performance would improve if more topics were presented in a discovery fashion.…

This paper describes a classroom, instructor-led activity designed to show how graphic calculators can be used to explore coordinate geometry. The activity involves digitizing an image of a hand and transforming the image through geometrical transformations. Teaching notes and calculator instructions are included as are blackline masters. Also…

Math Mountain is a special section on the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) web site just for kids. It features challenging problems for primary and intermediate grade students. This booklet contains problems featured in Math Mountain over the past year and can be used as a source of additional problems to challenge students or to…

Children today are very different from children of even five years ago. More and more children are recognized as having learning difficulties, and their self-esteem is more fragile than ever. Children used to TVs, VCRs, cellular phones, computers, and Gameboys demand high-interest activities rather than the "skill and drill" methods of a decade…

Presents an activity on solving equations of the form ax+b=Sqr(cx=d) using graphing calculators. (ASK)

Defines and discusses anamorphic art and describes an anamorphic art activity using the reflection of mirrored cylinders through a grid system. Particularly suitable for algebra or geometry classes. Requires some minimal skills from coordinate geometry and spatial visualization. (AIM)