Story problems related to transportation are seen as tools to motivate students to study mathematics by relating the subject to the real world. Schedule making for transportation planning is reviewed. (MP)

Some activities designed around the Monte Carlo method of solving probability problems are described. The instructional applications of this method involve physical models or simple BASIC computer programs. (MP)

One approach used to teach a group of six hard-of-hearing and deaf children to solve word problems in addition and subtraction at the first- and second-grade levels is described. (Author/MK)

Presents 12 questions related to a given real-life situation about a man shaving and the number of hairs in his beard in order to help students see the connection between mathematics and the world around them. (ASK)

Explores the uses of technology, computers in particular, to teach mathematics. Examples are given of the ways technology can help students gather data and test, modify, and reject or accept conjectures as they think about mathematical concepts. Article asserts a restructuring of the mathematics curriculum is necessary to bring this about. (SLD)

Several measures of fraction knowledge were developed and administered to 540 fifth-grade students in 22 classrooms. Students were asked to represent their conceptual knowledge in several task contexts and formats. Level of representational knowledge predicted performance on problem solving, justification, and explanation tasks. The assessments…

Discusses the use of spreadsheets for mathematical problem solving to help develop higher-level-thinking skills and foster an experimental attitude toward learning mathematics. An example is given of middle-school and high-school students investigating a number-structures problem. (LRW)

Investigates changing teacher roles associated with two teachers' use of innovative mathematics materials at Grade Six. Findings indicate that one teacher demonstrated little change in either espoused beliefs or observed practice while the other teacher demonstrated increasing comfort in posing non-routine problems to students and allowing them to…

Provides activities that deal with Fibonacci-like sequences and guide students' thinking as they explore mathematical induction. Investigation leads to a discovery of an interesting relation that involves all Fibonacci-like sequences. (DDR)

Describes an activity that utilizes four pattern blocks to help students understand and explain perimeter. Engages students in making and supporting conjectures about a scenario that involves trains composed of various shapes with different perimeters. (DDR)

Describes a mathematics trail created on the campus of Exeter Academy and in the town of Exeter, New Hampshire. A series of problems and puzzles enabled teachers to teach mathematics outdoors. Novel questions were created to permit students to look at things from a different perspective. Participants were often inspired to create questions of…

Describes a study of the estimation skills of mathematicians (N=44), accountants (N=44), psychology students (N=44), and English students (N=44). Explores their methods of estimating the products and quotients of 20 problems. Contains 49 references. (DDR)

Presents solutions at several different levels of sophistication for a problem involving 10 stools arranged in a row at a diner: how many different ways can the ten stools be occupied, discounting which of three persons sit on any stool, so that at least one stool is between two people? (AIM)

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 cave-mapping problem and discusses how to solve it. Presents the problem and necessary geologic background and a spreadsheet algorithm to solve the problem. (KHR)