Computational thinking--a set of mental and cognitive tools applied to problem solving--is a fundamental skill that all of us (and not just computer scientists) draw on. Educators have found that computational thinking enhances learning across a range of subjects and reinforces students' abilities in reading, writing, and arithmetic. This book…

Unit conversion need not be boring. If students see that the skill is necessary, both their motivation to learn and their appreciation of the process can be enhanced. As a result, students become actively engaged and construct understanding and computational skills that they will retain over time. The activity described here makes use of scale…

As young adolescents, middle grades students experience a wide variety of changes related to their cognitive capabilities, social and emotional well-being, and use of self-regulation strategies. Authentic performance tasks challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills to realistic problems to create products or performances--consistent…

The eight mathematical practices explored in the Common Core Math Standards are the following: (1) Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them; (2) Reason abstractly and quantitatively; (3) Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; (4) Model with mathematics; (5) Use appropriate tools strategically; (6) Attend to…

Given the importance of algebra, middle school mathematics teachers have a responsibility to help students transition from understanding arithmetic to understanding the algebra that will be necessary for success in high school. One method of transition involves introducing algebraic concepts in concrete ways using meaningful contexts. The series…

Active principal leadership can help sustain and scale science curriculum reform. This study illustrates how principal leadership developed in a professional learning community to support a technology-enhanced science curriculum reform funded by the National Science Foundation. Seven middle school and high school principals in one urban-fringe…

Describes two problem-solving videodisc adventure stories related to geometry and reports reactions of (n=25) teachers and their students who used the adventures. Results found teachers and students had increased knowledge of ways to apply geometry. (12 references) (MKR)

Six different methods were used by students to solve the problem of finding the area of a given trapezoid. A seventh method used by textbooks is also discussed. (MP)

"Cognitive Tutor[R]", a full-year course, covers organizing single variable data, simplifying linear expressions, mathematical modeling, solving systems with linear equations, problem-solving using proportional reasoning, and powers and exponents. Students work at their own pace to develop problem-solving skills. The duration of each…

Activities that illustrate a problem-solving approach to teaching grouping symbols, such as parentheses and brackets, are described. Suggested exercises, answers to those exercises, and variations of this activity are included. (KR)

A middle school science teacher describes the learning and thinking processes of his class as they worked and played with pendulums and learned to build a swing that could tell time. The article illustrates how students can learn the value of the scientific method for problem solving. (DB)

The contribution to learning that can be made by students' questions is considered. Some questions asked by middle school students and the activities selected by the teacher to answer their questions are presented. Questions involve predicting, judging reasonableness, measuring, finding an average speed, and multiplication. (MNS)

Interest in mathematics can often be generated by seemingly nonmathematical items. A card trick from a course in recreational mathematics for middle school students is described. It involves several important mathematical activities: problem-solving analysis, making a conjecture and testing it, discovering, and verbalizing. (MNS)

A sequence of activities is presented that has been used to explore powers of numbers and patterns with middle school students. Experiences with use of this sequence are noted. The material is designed to serve three instructional purposes, which are noted at the conclusion. (MP)

This document is a collection of activity-based mathematics lessons for grades 5-8 from the "Ideas" department in "Arithmetic Teacher: Mathematics Education through the Middle Grades." Each lesson includes background information, objectives, directions, extensions, and student worksheets. A matrix is included which correlates…