Linear functions are an important part of the middle school mathematics curriculum. Students in the middle grades gain fluency by working with linear functions in a variety of representations (NCTM 2001). Presented in this article is an activity that was used with five eighth-grade classes at three different schools. The activity contains 15 cards…

Some educators may view diagrams, pictures, and charts as nice add-on tools for students who are visual thinkers. But Steve Moline sees visual literacy as fundamental to learning and to what it means to be human. In Moline's view, we are all bilingual. Our second language, which we do not speak but which we read and write every day, is visual.…

"Bars, Lines, & Pies" is a dynamic math program designed to build graphing skills in students, while also showing them the relevance of math in their lives. Developed by The Actuarial Foundation along with Scholastic, the graphing lessons and activities involve engaging, real-world examples about the environment and recycling. In these lessons,…

"Shake, Rattle, & Roll" is a new program developed by The Actuarial Foundation with Scholastic, provides dynamic real-world math content designed to build student skills while showing students the relevance of math to understanding their world and planning for their future. Math skills are increasingly important for students. According to the U.S.…

An explanation is given of the uses of graphs for conveying information pictorially. Picture, bar, line, and area graphs are illustrated. Graphing projects for science, social studies, mathematics, economics, and language arts are listed, and teaching tips are suggested. (FG)

Argues that the aggregate good is a powerful pedagogical device in economics. Uses a simple graphical analysis that demonstrates to the student the concept of an aggregate good, that preferences can indeed be collapsed from many goods to two. (DB)

Presents an alternate approach to teaching quadratics by fully integrating the study of quadratic equations and quadratic functions using graphs. Includes reproducible student worksheets. (MKR)

Perhaps because the United States is undergoing a video revolution, perhaps because of its increasing sales of goods to non-English speaking markets where graphics can help explain the products, perhaps because of the decreasing communication skills of the work force, graphic aids are becoming more and more widely used and more and more important.…

Contends that, although most economics students are acquainted with the graphical analysis of the income and substitution effects of a price change, they often fail to appreciate that the same graphs provide information on the income elasticities of the two goods. Illustrates the proof of this concept using mathematical formulae and five graphic…

Asserts that, despite changes resulting from new theories on international trade, simple graphs in the Heckscher-Ohlin-Samuelson tradition remain a significant part of most courses in international economics. Provides four figures illustrating these economic concepts. (CFR)

Describes the use of glyphs, simple pictures or graphs whose parts represent information about a given subject, in a second-grade classroom. Includes many examples. (MKR)

Ten issues of a monthly social studies resource, each with a different topical focus, are included in this document. The issues focus on: the American family; the environment; the developing world; U.S. and world population; U.S. and world energy; the arms race; employment and housing; world product and trade; social programs in the federal…

Differing treatments of graphs in mathematics and science are discussed. A teaching sequence to develop contrasts between real and ideal data is suggested. (MP)

Gives a multi-lesson project exploring multiplication arrays. Students are given opportunities to model multiplication tables with rectangular arrays, develop and extend ideas about patterns, organize and present visual patterns symbolically in tables, and represent visual patterns graphically. (MKR)

Discusses the interconnection among the various modes of the TI-92 calculator (geometry, data graphing, function graphing, and algebra) and how the power of visualization is extended to provide multiple approaches to complex problem situations. Provides a graphing problem with illustrations and results. (AIM)