A presentation on the Budapest Seminars in Mathematics Education website, inspired the author to try a new approach while teaching a unit on quadrilaterals in his Geometry for K-8 Teachers course, a class primarily composed of undergraduate students interested in teaching at the elementary or middle school level. The author designed a lesson that…

NCTM's "Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All" (2014), outlines eight teaching practices for effective teaching and learning mathematics. One of them, facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse, states, "Effective teaching of mathematics facilitates discourse among students to build shared understanding of…

The fun thing about teaching measurement topics is allowing students to create three-dimensional objects from cardboard or paper and then to use them to calculate volume and surface area. The project described in this article is one that author Shafer has used for many years at the high school and college levels to reinforce the concepts of volume…

Describes the Circle Scribe Disk Compass and explains its use in helping children to explore patterns and geometry. Topics include Fibonnacci's spiral and regular polygons. (MM)

Suggests using literature to study geometry and presents activities on the book "Sitting in My Box." (Author/NB)

In this story of a teacher-designed activity called Garage Math, 5th grade students broadened their understanding of how mathematics is used in the real world and strengthened their mathematical skills as they assumed the roles of construction workers. (Author/NB)

Presents a variety of activities in which 4th grade students investigate prisms and pyramids by building models from folded paper and drinking straws. (Author/NB)

This book demonstrates how K-2 students deepen their mathematical ideas when encouraged to represent and communicate their thinking. Numerous vignettes from actual classrooms and reflective comments from teachers provide a model for how show and tell can enhance classroom teaching and improve children's learning. Examples of students' work and…

Analyzes one student's thinking using the Van Hiele levels of geometric thinking. (KHR)

Describes how origami can be used to help elementary school students learn geometrical concepts of shapes in two and three dimensions. Discusses equilateral triangles, Stars of David, rhombuses, and spirals. (MM)

Discusses the place of descriptive geometry in schools problems of teaching technical graphics to young students. Instructional materials for teaching technical graphics, graphic programs, program development, and the value of school project work are considered. Sample computer-generated drawings are included. (JN)

Presents three activities in which students learn about and construct star polygons using the LOGO programing lanaguage. A list of suggested extension activities is included. (JN)

Lists three guidelines for the sound use of manipulatives in teaching geometry. Also describes activities that use manipulatives to teach topics in geometry and measurement and which illustrate the application of the three guidelines. (JN)

Describes seven spatial abilities related to mathematics including eye-motor coordination, figure-ground perception, perceptual constancy, position-in-space perception, perception of spatial relationships, visual discrimination, and visual memory. Discusses the relationship of the spatial abilities to the study of geometry. Lists 19 references.…

Summarizes findings from research related to spatial abilities. Provided are suggestions for developing spatial abilities. Lists nine references. (YP)