Various classroom uses of simulation of random phenomena with a table of random digits are described. Examples are given to illustrate the mathematics of simulation. (MP)

Compares the relative difficulty of four types of word problems. Other variables considered are grade level, sex, order of testing, and performance on a computational skills test. (MK)

Reports on an experiment in which Algebra I students (N=181) learned to translate word problems with two unknowns from the prose representation to symbolic representation using two variables when first solving word problems with two unknowns. Concludes that students who had learned to solve equations with the new method scored higher than those…

Describes establishing and running a credit union in a sixth-grade classroom. By establishing a classroom credit union, students can develop independence in solving real problems and model situations that occur in the real world to solve similar problems. (ASK)

Presents two games that provide practice with equivalent fractions, that were produced at three levels of difficulty, Level 1 being the simplest. Also describes another game for practice in solving simple linear equations. Appendices contain examples of materials used in the games. (ASK)

Presents three number games for mathematics classrooms designed to improve the learning of number concepts. Game topics include determining products, arranging mathematical signs, and factoring. (ASK)

Presents a trigonometry problem concerning control of the entry of sunlight through a window. (ASK)

Discusses the value of introducing students to problems that lend themselves to long-term, in-depth analysis at different levels of intellectual accomplishment. Focuses on one such problem in detail. (DDR)

It is argued that mathematical modelling is important in teaching mathematics and that teachers have to create cultural support for it in the classroom. Posing an unsolvable problem for students may reveal the culture of the classroom as it exists, but its contribution to developing the needed culture that supports mathematical modelling appears…

It is argued that students who appear to ignore common sense and real-world knowledge in their approach to mathematics word problems in school are often behaving sensibly given the situation. The improvement of mathematics word problems for teaching will require changes in teacher beliefs and the use of modelling as an activity of organizing. (SLD)

Presents weekly activities that focus on strategies derived from generalizations and patterns found in explorations using hundreds charts, manipulatives, and other models. (KHR)

Uses the notion of focusing phenomena to explain how a teacher's actions were connected to her students' interpretations of a linear equation. Conducts interviews and analyzes a high-school classroom that emphasized dependency relationships in real-world situations. Describes how the teacher directed attention away from functional relationships…

Presents a project that addresses several components of the Algebra and Communication Standards for Grades 9-12 presented in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000). Describes doing mathematical modeling and using the language of mathematics to express a recursive relationship in the perimeter and area of the Koch snowflake.…

Presents activities designed to introduce a mathematical idea having several applications for determining the optimal location for a radio station's transmitter and the best locations for a fire station. Includes student worksheets and solutions. (KHR)

Discusses several solutions--correct and incorrect--for a "Food for Thought" problem from the May 2000 issue. Emphasizes the importance of proportional reasoning. (KHR)