Discusses a classroom project for teaching conceptual meanings and functional purposes of the notations and symbols of mathematics. Describes the background of the approach based on Piaget's theory: concrete level, symbolic level, and abstract level. Lists 14 references and 4 suggested readings. (YP)

Describes the formation and organization of a mathematics club for fourth- and fifth-grade students. Offers 12 hints on running a successful club based on the author's experiences. (MDH)

A series of four activities are presented to enhance students' abilities to appreciate and use trigonometry as a tool in problem solving. Activities cover problems applying the law of sines, the law of cosines, and matching equivalent trigonometric expressions. A teacher's guide, worksheets, and answers are provided. (MDH)

Discusses six examples that discover supplementary geometry theorems by using three elementary theorems about the relationships between angles and intercepted arcs in circles. Topics in the examples include angles formed by parallel lines and the sum of the interior angles of triangles, convex quadrilaterals, star polygons, and hexagons. (MDH)

Demonstrates that the functions known as the witch of Agnesi and the normal distribution are not identical by comparing the areas under the curves and the slopes of the lines tangent to the curves of the two functions. Suggests follow-up activities to the investigation. (MDH)

Describes an attempt to increase business calculus students' desire to learn by overcoming typical low levels of mathematical preparation and motivation utilizing a corporate structure managed by the students. Includes 10 sample problems from fictitious corporations. (JJK)

Presents reasons advanced for using history in mathematics education, ways of using history in the mathematics classroom and the use of history in teaching mathematics. Provides distinctions between the latter two points. (MDH)

Mathematical enrichment involving writing and drawing activities are proposed as powerful instructional tools. Examples for the secondary mathematics classroom included here utilize poetry writing, daffynitions, sketching numerical witticisms, creating rebus and jumble puzzles, and drawing cartoons with fraction captions. (JJK)

A Reuleaux triangle is constructed by drawing an arc connecting each pair of vertices of an equilateral triangle with radius equal to the side of the triangle. Investigates the application of drilling a square hole using a drill bit in the shape of a Reuleaux triangle. (MDH)

Discusses a problem involving probability and uncertainty that students can investigate experimentally or theoretically and transforms the problem to a two-player game so that students can be introduced to some fundamental concepts of decision making. Includes computer programs used to analyze the problems. (MKR)

Reports that as the number of students required to complete developmental mathematics courses increase, faculty turn to the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) standards as guidelines for better instructional methods. Describes the necessity for educators to decide how graphing calculators can be used most effectively…

Although it takes only 2 years to attain conversational competence in a second language, it takes up to 7 years to realize sufficient language competence to achieve academically at the level of native speakers. Specific adaptations in instructional methods in mathematics for language minority students should include techniques from English as a…

This guide presents activities which use local community newspapers in elementary and secondary classrooms in specific curriculum areas. Following a preface and introduction which describe the Newspaper in Education Program and the particular strengths of the weekly newspaper in the classroom, the guide briefly discusses (from the point of view of…

This material is a supplement to existing mathematics programs for young learners. The activities presented are based on assumptions about the young problem solver which are difficult to address in standard mathematics texts. In these pages it is assumed that each learner brings to the problem-solving effort a very personal experience base and a…

This collection of materials includes six units dealing with applications of matrix methods. These are: 105-Food Service Management; 107-Markov Chains; 108-Electrical Circuits; 109-Food Service and Dietary Requirements; 111-Fixed Point and Absorbing Markov Chains; and 112-Analysis of Linear Circuits. The units contain exercises and model exams,…