A classic TV commercial once asked, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop?" The narrator claims, "The world may never know" (Tootsie Roll 2012), but an Internet search returns a multitude of answers, some of which include rigorous systematic approaches by academics to address the…

Since the introduction of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) in 2010, stakeholders in adopting states have engaged in a variety of activities to understand CCSSM standards and transition from previous state standards. These efforts include research, professional development, assessment and modification of curriculum resources,…

The goal of this geometry project is to use Voronoi diagrams, a powerful modeling tool across disciplines, and the integration of technology to analyze spring rainfall from rain gauge data over a region. In their investigation, students use familiar equipment from their mathematical toolbox: triangles and other polygons, circumcenters and…

In this article, the classic problem of finding three ways to determine the probability that the pieces of a stick randomly broken in two places will form a triangle is analyzed anew. To be useful in the classroom, an application must be incorporated into an often-crowded curriculum. What is nice about this triangle problem is that it fits in…

Data analysis plays a prominent role in various facets of modern life: Schools evaluate and revise programs on the basis of test scores; policymakers make decisions on the basis of information gleaned from polling data; supermarkets stock shelves on the basis of data collected at checkout lanes. Data analysis provides teachers with new tools and…

Results of using platonic solids for probability experiments are presented. (JG)

Presents a solution to the problem of finding the probability that a needle would cross a crack in a tile floor when dropped. (MKR)

Annual records of the one-mile sun can be used to introduce a variety of statistical ideas including the scatter diagram, theoretical vs. observed values, and normal equations. (SD)

Using license plates to generate random number pairs, students can calculate an approximate value for pi. The author views this approach as easier to understand than Buffon's needle. (SD)

Presents an activity that utilizes the mathematical models of forest fires and oil spills that were generated (in the first part of this activity, published in the November 1998 issue) by students using probability and cellular automata. (ASK)

This monthly column contains teaching suggestions on: using codes to convey information, flow proofs in geometry, and volleyball and probability. (MP)

This annotated bibliography includes activities with calculators in the areas of computational skills, geometry, measurement, number pattern recognition, and probability. (MK)

Provides mathematical activities in reproducible format for students in grades seven through ten. Intended to review and reinforce mathematical symbolism, concepts and relationships appropriate for middle school students. The game format is modeled after a television game show. (PK)

Describes the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP), a four-year program of problem-based mathematics that integrates algebra, geometry, and trigonometry with additional topics, such as probability and statistics, and uses calculator and computer technology to enhance student understanding. (MKR)