This article describes an instructional sequence intended to help students think about why integer operations work the way they do. It introduces the idea of an integer as a composite unit and embeds the well-known debit/credit model in an "allowance" context. (Contains 3 figures.)

The sum of the divisors of a positive integer is one of the most interesting concepts in multiplicative number theory, while the number of ways of expressing a number as a sum is a primary topic in additive number theory. In this article, we describe some of the surprising connections between and similarities of these two concepts.

This article describes the use of Fermi questions as a problem-solving tool.

As the name of the paper implies, a converse of Fermat's Little Theorem (FLT) is stated and proved. FLT states the following: if p is any prime, and x any integer, then x[superscript p] [equivalent to] x (mod p). There is already a well-known converse of FLT, known as Lehmer's Theorem, which is as follows: if x is an integer coprime with m, such…

This report describes reflections from two cycles of developmental research that involved creating and refining a series of computer-based applets for reasoning about the relative magnitude of fractional quantities. The applet sequence stemmed from a cognitively demanding task used in face-to-face teacher education settings that involved placing…

Taking advantage of student's passion in using technology in the form of digital media sets the trend of this study. If this passion can be harnessed, digital media may have an important and powerful role to play in education. A methodology of teaching using digital media in the form of VCD is experimented and tested for possible effect on…

Research on computational estimation and mental computation has received a considerable amount of attention from mathematics educators during the past decade. These proceedings resulted from a meeting to explore dimensions of number sense and its related fields. The participants came from three groups: mathematics educators actively pursuing…

This is one in a series of manuals for teachers using SMSG high school supplementary materials. The pamphlet includes commentaries on the sections of the student's booklet, answers to the exercises, and sample test questions. Topics covered include factors and primes, perfect numbers, divisibility, expanded notation, repeating decimals, number…

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of type of grouping (multibase (M) or base ten (T) ) and the time that base representations are introduced (initially (EB) or after counting, reading and writing numerals (LB) ) on achievement in numeration in grade one. Four intact classes of 110 students participated, and a 2 x 2 factorial…

A list of materials needed and step-by-step directions for constructing an abacus are given. Instructions are provided which tell how to use the abacus in teaching number combinations and in working addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division problems. (Related documents are SE 015 950 and SE 015 952.) (DT)

A short story is presented which uses as its characters rational and irrational numbers and numbers involving fractional exponents. (DT)

Euler's famous formula, e to the (i, pi) power equals -1, is developed by a purely algebraic method that avoids the use of both trigonometry and calculus. A heuristic outline is given followed by the rigorous theory. Pedagogical considerations for classroom presentation are suggested. (LS)

The paper presents reasons for teaching topics from number theory to elementary school students: (1) it can help reveal why numbers "act" in a certain way when added, multiplied, etc., (2) it offers drill material in new areas of mathematics, (3) it can develop interest - as mathematical enrichment, (4) it offers opportunities for students to…

Three-, four-, and five-year-olds were given problems to test their ability to recognize absolute number and relative order. Results suggest that children understand number as an absolute amount before they understand it as part of a progressive sequence in contradiction to the "ordinal theory of number." (Author/DST)