Amazon, Walmart, and other large-scale retailers owe their success partly to efficient inventory management. For such firms, holding too little inventory risks losing sales, whereas holding idle inventory wastes money. Therefore profits hinge on the inventory level chosen. In this activity, students investigate a simplified inventory-control…

Students frequently have difficulty determining whether a given real-life situation is best modeled as a linear relationship or as an exponential relationship. One root of such difficulty is the lack of deep understanding of the very concept of "rate of change." The authors will provide a lesson that allows students to reveal their misconceptions…

Nonroutine function tasks are more challenging than most typical high school mathematics tasks. Nonroutine tasks encourage students to expand their thinking about functions and their approaches to problem solving. As a result, they gain greater appreciation for the power of multiple representations and a richer understanding of functions. This…

The author presents a method of producing a scatter diagram of data on two variables with Pearson product moment correlation of .50; he also provides a proof that the method will work for any number of data pairs. (SD)

Estimating the weight of large pumpkins before harvest presents an opportunity for applying several diverse mathematical topics. A model that allows an estimation by easy tape measurement is derived. (MP)

Presents an activity on linear functions that is designed to help students become familiar with the graphs, equations, and tables of these functions while focusing on issues related to cost, revenue, and profit. (ASK)

The mathematics of the game "Instant Insanity" is described in terms of graph theory, a part of combinational mathematics. (SD)

Directions are given for making a model of a three-dimensional coordinate graph. (DT)

Presents a typical cost-allocation problem with possible solutions, including geometric and combinatoric ones. Provides students with a real-life application of the mathematics that they know. (KHR)

A method is described for representing quadratic functions by three-dimensional wire models. This enables one to form a simple geometric concept of the location of imaginary zeros. (MNS)

Presents activities in which students study exponential growth and decay by collecting data, constructing graphs, and discovering algebraic formulas. (MKR)

Examines four areas of difficulty with graphing and modeling, identifies confusions and misconceptions, and shows how these areas interact in the presence of data-collection devices. (KHR)

Describes a simulation using dice-tossing students in a population cluster to model the growth of cancer cells. This growth is recorded in a scatterplot and compared to an exponential function graph. (KHR)

A fairly traditional precalculus problem is modified to address some common concerns with the teaching of problem solving. Areas of problem solving which are illustrated include: posing the problem; modeling the problem; transforming the data; and examining the solution. (PK)

This section provides mathematical activities in reproducible formats appropriate for students in grades 8-10. The activity is designed to provide an experience in model building while developing the concept of slope. (PK)