Considered is the open-ended question of the various means of marking an n-inch ruler so that the distance of any integral number of inches from 1 to n can be ascertained with a single measurement. The relationship between a sparsely marked ruler, which is one gracefully marked with the fewest number of marks, and specific discrete graphs is…

Providing teacher background on the concepts of wages and profits, paying particular attention to how elementary children experience and learn these concepts, this document presents 3 teaching units. The grade K-2 unit, "A Job Well Done," provides activities which focus on different types of jobs and the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards…

There are two currents of social studies reform. One involves the search for an appropriate social studies core and is spearheaded by state governments and scholarly organizations. The second reform movement flows toward a social studies curriculum based on urgent domestic issues and the realities of global interdependence. The cross-purposes of…

Clapping music for two performers provides the basis for a series of mathematical problems in combinatorics and group theory. A discussion provides insight about how to avoid overlooking global extrema in constrained max-min problems when solving systems of algebraic equations. (JJK)

A bargaining process, begun over 10 years ago, is based on problem-solving rather than on adversarial confrontation and uses elements of participative management. It has resulted in outstanding benefits for two school districts. Called "Theory Z bargaining," the process follows a procedure based on each side treating the other with…

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)

The number and range of instructional resources in mathematics and science education can be overwhelming to educators. The chief mission of The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse for Mathematics and Science Education (ENC) is to help educators sort through the confusion by identifying relevant resources such as print materials, software, kits, and…

Providing teacher background on the concepts of productivity and capital goods, this document presents 3 teaching units about these ideas for different grade levels. The grade K-2 unit, "How Do They Do It?," is designed to provide students with an understanding of how physical capital goods add to productivity. Activities include a field trip to…

This document includes an introduction to the role of government in the production of public goods and services and 3 brief teaching units. The introduction describes the nature of a mixed economy and points out why most people identify the production of goods and services with private enterprise rather than government. It develops a rationale for…

This issue of ENC Focus focuses on the topic of inquiry and problem solving. Featured articles include: (1) "Inquiry in the Everyday World of Schools" (Ronald D. Anderson); (2) "In the Cascade Reservoir Restoration Project Students Tackle Real-World Problems" (Clint Kennedy with Advanced Biology Students from Cascade High…

The "Clipboard Connection" is a methodology to facilitate the rapid circulation of relevant pre-existing materials from Chapter 1 Technical Assistance Centers of relevant materials from Chapter 1 Technical Assistance Centers (TACs) to their clients, teachers of educationally disadvantaged children in resource centers. Each…

This issue explains the concept of externalities (benefits or burdens which accrue to society when there is a difference between the private cost or benefit of an action and the social cost or benefit of that action). These external or social costs of individual actions are often referred to as spillover costs. Three brief teaching units follow…

This teaching guide begins with an explanation of the role of money in the economy, focusing on its circulation or exchange. The use of money as a unit of account, a store of value, and a medium of exchange are explained. Three brief teaching units are included. The grade K-2 unit, "Money Counts," provides games and activities which develop the…

Following a brief historical review of the mechanism of mathematical modeling, examples are included that associate a mathematical model with given data (changes in sea level) and that model a real-life situation (process of parallel parking). Also provided is the rationale for the curricular implementation of mathematical modeling. (JJK)

Presented are student activities that involve two standard problems from geometry and calculus--the volume of a box and the bank shot on a pool table. Problem solving is emphasized as a method of inquiry and application with descriptions of the results using graphical, numerical, and physical models. (JJK)