One way to develop a cross-curricular lesson is to select the most common mathematical formulas used in science and carefully develop and implement tasks that allow students to make connections between the mathematical representations and theoretical/physical science concepts. The slope-intercept formula, which is used to study relationships…

Mathematics and technology serve the health sciences as demonstrated in this article, cowritten by one of our calculus students. Creating a lesson based on dosing an antibiotic allows teachers and students to see the immediate value of high school calculus and technology.

Using technology to explore the coefficients of a quadratic equation can lead to an unexpected result. This article describes an investigation that involves sliders and dynamically linked representations. It guides students to notice the effect that the parameter "a" has on the graphical representation of a quadratic function in the form…

An iPad® can be used to teach students to graph parabolas with ease and grasp vocabulary quickly. Parabolas come to life for students in this easily implemented activity described in this article. Teachers can use this tool in a fun and interactive way to not only address these graphing and vocabulary concepts but also introduce and explore…

Learning mathematics is challenging. It requires discipline, logic, precision, perseverance, and accuracy. It can also be fun. When mathematics is set in a context that inspires students to want to solve interesting problems, students will have an intrinsic desire to learn the necessary skills to accomplish a specific goal. The game of Crypto! was…

In Pre-Calculus courses, students are taught the composition and combination of functions to model physical applications. However, when combining two or more functions into a single more complicated one, students may lose sight of the physical picture which they are attempting to model. A block diagram, or flow chart, in which each block…

Has technology revolutionised the mathematics classroom, or is it still a device waiting to be exploited for the benefit of the learner? There are applets that will enable the user to solve complex equations at the push of a button. So, does this jeopardise other methods, make other methods redundant, or even diminish other methods in the mind of…

The senior school Mathematics syllabus is often restricted to the study of single variable differential equations of the first order. Unfortunately most real life examples do not follow such types of relations. In addition, very few differential equations in real life have exact solutions that can be expressed in finite terms. Even if the solution…

Dynamic/interactive graphing applets can be used to supplement standard computer algebra systems such as Maple, Mathematica, Derive, or TI calculators, in courses such as Calculus, Differential Equations, and Dynamical Systems. The addition of this type of software can lead to discovery learning, with students developing their own conjectures, and…

The financial calculator is incorporated in finance education. In class, the instructor shows students how to use the financial calculator's function keys to solve time value of money (TVM) related problems efficiently. The fundamental finance course is required for all majors in the business school. Some students, especially…

In Part Three, the author reviews the basic ideas presented in Parts One and Two while arguing why the traditional equation-solving developmental algebra curricula is not a good choice for implementing neural response strategies presented in the first two parts. He continues by showing that the developmental algebra student audience is simply…

Graphing bivariate data in a scatter plot and drawing an approximate line of best fit for the data have become commonly recommended activities for middle school and high school students. The graphing calculator has provided a mechanism for students both to approximate a best-fit line and to calculate the best-fit line using a built-in option. Two…

A common activity--having students collect data to measure the radius and circumference of circular objects--can be given a new twist. These data can be viewed virtually using technology. A dynamic geometry environment coupled with the powerful capabilities of a spreadsheet can greatly enhance student learning. The activity in this article…

Many students and adults feel that algebra is merely the shuffling of symbols. The three interrelated concepts of variable, expression, and equation are central to beginning algebra, and in recent years, helping students understand the idea of a variable has been emphasized. Although graphing calculators help students solve equations, it is also…

Most mathematical functions can be represented in numerous ways. The main representations typically addressed in school, often referred to as "the big three," are graphical, algebraic, and numerical representations, but there are others as well (e.g., diagrams, words, simulations). These different types of representations "often illuminate…