Building sets, video games, and scatterplots may seem unrelated, but when they are combined into a problem-based learning (PBL) lesson, these elements join to create a unique learning experience. PBL lessons drive instruction by focusing learning and activities around a central challenge or question while providing a relevant, captivating, and…

This article describes an exciting exploration-based activity in which students develop an alternative definition of factor that can help them solve problems like the one presented above. Students work in groups to collect data, analyze the data to make conjectures, and then spend a significant amount of time debating and justifying their…

Motivating middle school students to learn can be challenging. One proven method for doing so is through an integrated curriculum. Educational philosophers and curriculum theorists have long noted the benefits of an integrated curriculum, which recognizes that the subject areas within the curriculum are connected to one another and to the real…

Reasoning and sense making are at the heart of mathematics teaching and learning throughout the K-12 mathematics curriculum. Focusing on these skills gives students the opportunity to analyze, interpret, and critically think about the mathematics they learn. The terms "reasoning" and "sense making" are frequently used to describe the wide range of…

Taiwanese students consistently rank near the top on international exams on mathematics and science. In 2007, Taiwan recorded the highest TIMSS math score for eighth grade. The central education agency in Taiwan publishes detailed mathematics curriculum guidelines, which textbooks and national exams follow closely. In May each year, all ninth…

Presents questions, explorations, and problems centered on data and surveys related to ice cream. (YDS)

Presents activity pages containing world population data for students to use to predict future population figures and Consumer Price Index (CPI) data to track changes in the costs of the goods. Includes answer key. (KHR)

Presents a game of classifying objects according to their attributes using a three-set Venn diagram, then analyzing the classification of the objects to determine their accuracy. Requires students to capture opponents' game pieces (tangrams) by making mathematical arguments that identify misplaced pieces. (YDS)

Proposes a model that displays the five components of the statistical problem-solving process. Focuses on the collection of coins in sets by mint location and fully describes the procedures. Includes ideas for data collection and analysis. (DDR)

Details six activities that utilize data contained in a telephone book. Topics include data display, fractional numeracy, random art, estimation, and probability. Contains a summary and extension activities, some of which focus on permutations and combinations. (DDR)

Presents an extended activity consisting of a sequence of tasks organized so that students can visit several mathematical concepts concurrently and explore connections among them. Students build solids using bendable straws to form the skeletons of various polyhedra. Topics covered include tables and charts, algebraic expressions, surface area,…