How do cross-bracing, geometry, and base isolation help buildings withstand earthquakes? These important structural design features involve fundamental geometry that elementary school students can readily model and understand. The problem activity, Designing an Earthquake-Resistant Building, was undertaken by several classes of sixth- grade…

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…

Measurement is an important component of K-grade 12 mathematics curricula. The concepts of area and perimeter of polygons are first introduced in third grade and serve as the basis for teaching in the upper grades. Without a strong understanding of measurement, students will struggle to meaningfully grasp three-dimensional measurement concepts…

Designed for a broad audience, including educators, camp directors, afterschool coordinators, and preservice teachers, this investigation aims to help individuals experience mathematics in unconventional and exciting ways by engaging them in the physical activity of building geometric shapes using ropes. Through this engagement, the author…

Sorting shapes and solving riddles develop and advance children's geometric thinking and understanding while promoting mathematical communication, cooperative learning, and numerous representations. This article presents a brief summary of how children develop an understanding of the properties of geometric shapes as well as a description of the…

Comments on student responses to the three dimensional items produced by first investigating flat paper cutouts of the items. (KHR)

Presents responses to the Mathematics of Motion problem which includes estimating the area of shapes on grid paper. (Author/YDS)

Presents the Shape Search problem to develop student visualization. Focuses attention on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Geometry Standard. (Author/NB)

Presents the Perfect-Square Geometry Partners problem to teach students about patterns. (Author/NB)

Investigates problems called "cranium crackers" and focuses on number sense, logical reasoning, data analysis, geometry, measurement, and algebraic thinking. (Author/NB)

Presents weekly activities that focus on various forms of transportation in the world. Students investigate transportation through data collection, geometry, and measurement. (KHR)

Offers a problem for teachers to try with their students. The problem is presented visually as a row of 15 connected squares and the task is to determine the number of rectangles. The goal is to encourage teachers to reflect on students' work and analyze classroom dialogue. (PVD)

Describes a classroom project integrating children's literature, Japanese culture, and geometry that grew out of the local killing of a Japanese exchange student. Fourth-graders read "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes" around which the interdisciplinary unit was developed. Topics covered included Japanese culture, American social…