This textbook/workbook for secondary school students is designed to stimulate inventive problem solving of future world problems. It is organized into four units and contains 23 lessons. Unit I defines the nature of the course and provides methods for stating and defining problems, brainstorming, working in groups, and judging ideas. Unit II…

This curriculum program is intended to promote the development of primary grade children's ability to think. A number of learning activities or tasks are presented along with the teaching strategy to be used in implementing them. The first part of the book describes aspects of the teaching strategy, including selecting activities, preparing for…

Teachers from 34 states and Canada responded to a request to describe teaching practices that give students minor or major decision making responsibilities. Different structures used by teachers to provide students opportunities to practice decision making across the school years from first grade to high school are described in this report.…

This teacher activity package deals with the process of decision making in children. It assumes that fundamental to decision making is an awareness of one's own opportunity to make decisions as well as an understanding of the process itself. It also assumes that children can be helped, by teachers and other influential persons, to see and accept…

This paper was presented at the 1979 meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in San Francisco. It describes specific examples of calculator-aided mathematics learning activities for children in grades 2-6. These examples illustrate a variety of topics and types of learning which can be enhanced by a range of capabilities of…

This handbook has been designed as a teaching resource to be used in the development of student attitudes and competencies, reflecting an awareness of the environment, and a motivation to work toward solutions to its problems. Listed activities are to be adapted to the abilities and interests of students, school locale, and teaching situation.…

The Alpha Crisis Game, a simulation for secondary students about the outbreak of World War I, is intended as an introduction to a case study of the July 1917 crisis. Playing in teams while deciding among the action choices to solve the crisis situation, students act as heads of state and ministers of five mythical European countries, when an…

The author addresses two types of classroom activities: strategic games and games of conflict. It is suggested that each has an important role to play in many areas of mathematics. In addition to providing examples of games, the author reflects on the processes involved in using the activities. (PK)

Provided are follow-up activities for having students explore the concept of line symmetry. Using a mirror to move a pattern; finding patterns with one, two, or four lines of symmetry; finding asymmetrical patterns; deciding if patterns are different; and solving the problem of finding all patterns possible are discussed. (MNS)

Discusses the development of problem-oriented mathematics materials for a wide variety of students. Materials include teaching guides, student materials, case studies in mathematical modeling, and project activities. Examples of these materials (including a sports-related activity for students who have not had success in mathematics) are provided.…

A real-life problem involving a greenskeeper needing to know the area of golf greens is presented, with solutions using a scale drawing, Maple's methods, and Heron's formula. Methods are checked with a computer and discussed mathematically. Three computer program listings are included. (MNS)

With a standard geoboard, five pegs by five pegs, how many different triangles can be formed using a single rubber band with the pegs serving as vertices? Discusses ways to solve this problem and offers related problems and some pedagogical considerations (particularly for the teaching of geometry and problem solving). (JN)

The problem-solving skills of logical thinking, critical thinking, visualization, and communication skills are linked with some activities for students. Sample activities with logic, strategies and patterns, breaking fixed notions, open-minded problems, spatial visualization, and communication are described. (MNS)

Based on the view that making social concepts and feelings concrete would help children in primary grades to take turns, cooperate, and solve their problems respectfully, this curriculum uses a story about the Rainbow Kids, an imaginary community of children, to introduce children to social concepts and conflict resolution skills. The Rainbow Kids…

This publication features articles that illustrate how several Northwest teachers are using problem solving to achieve rigorous and imaginative learning in their classrooms. Articles include: (1) "Open-Ended Problem Solving: Weaving a Web of Ideas" (Denise Jarrett); (2) "Teenager or Tyke, Students Learn Best by Tackling Challenging Math" (Suzie…