This article presents a reflection on a teaching experience involving the use of the Brügner tangram, an interesting but little-known manipulative material. It details an activity conducted as part of an undergraduate mathematics education course for prospective primary school teachers. The main objective of this paper is to present the…

This manuscript is meant to support secondary school teachers in their constant effort to find novel ways to engage students. Adolescents seem particularly stimulated by time-travelling scenarios, like the famous "wormhole billiard ball paradox" proposed by J. Polchinski in 1990, which are usually solved through closed time-like curves…

In this paper, we provide an overall perspective on the teaching and learning of discrete mathematics. Our aim is to highlight what research has been conducted in this area and to connect it to existing research ideas for future work. We begin by characterizing discrete mathematics and its role in the school curriculum, highlighting themes,…

Sketching the graph of mathematical functions using derivatives is a challenging task for undergraduate students who enrol for the first level of calculus course. Before graph plotting, students are required to perform a thorough function analysis using the concepts learned in differentiation. They are then expected to solicit the results obtained…

This work is an exploration of upper elementary students' sense making around four conventional representations of function: equations with algebraic notation, Cartesian graphs, function tables, and natural language. The cornerstone to the empirical work is a task called the Function Puzzle, where students are given 16 cards representing four…

The Tower of Hanoi is an old, popular, and engaging puzzle. It is an exceptional puzzle too considering how effective it can be in engendering multiple valuable outcomes when used as a tool for learning. One of the fundamental goals of mathematics teacher preparation is to enable the prospective teacher to develop mathematical habits of mind and…

The rapid growth of digital technology, including the worldwide adoption of mobile and embedded computers, places new demands on K-grade 12 educators and their students. Young people should have an opportunity to learn the technical knowledge of computer science (e.g., computer programming, mathematical logic, and discrete mathematics) in order to…

The material in this booklet is concerned with a discussion and examination of geometric puzzles and the ideas which result from their study. The general idea of graphs is introduced as a tool which can be used to solve geometric puzzles. The fact that working with puzzles can lead to unexpected mathematical discoveries is stressed. Such topics as…

Two mathematical brainteasers, with solutions depending on involved trial-and-error processes, are shown to have ingenious solutions. (MP)

Activities described for using zucchini to teach measurement include: guessing, graphing, and measuring length and weight; comparing sizes and shapes; and puzzles. (MP)

Activities are suggested for setting up a mathematics center for a week or more at a time. The activities relate to weight, counting, puzzles, length, graphing, and ordering. (MP)

Spatial language in English and American Sign Language (ASL) was compared by asking 10 native signers and 10 English speakers to solve a set of spatial puzzles. The study highlights the ramifications of a linguistic system in which space itself is used to convey spatial information compared to one that conveys the same information via an auditory…

We present a card trick that can be used to review or teach a variety of topics in discrete mathematics. We address many subjects, including permutations, combinations, functions, graphs, depth first search, the pigeonhole principle, greedy algorithms, and concepts from number theory. Moreover, the trick motivates the use of computers in…

Describes a simulation using dice-tossing students in a population cluster to model the growth of cancer cells. This growth is recorded in a scatterplot and compared to an exponential function graph. (KHR)

The advanced study program sponsored by the U.S. Naval Academy for the Anne Arundel Public Schools is described. Graphs, Games, and Puzzles and Strange Algebras are two of the courses presented. (MNS)