This discussion-based lesson is designed to support Year 6 students in their initial understanding of using letters to represent numbers, expressions, and equations in algebra. The three level framework is designed for: (1) making thinking explicit, (2) exploring each other's solutions, and (3) developing new mathematical insights. In each level…

One of the most important connections that must be made during the middle school years is the relationship between scientific inquiry and algebraic thinking. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways in which teachers in both mathematics and science can make this intrinsically important association for students. One way is by studying rate of change,…