A three-week geometry unit at a Portland (Oregon) middle school integrated mathematics, dance, and visual art. Studying the graphic art of M.C. Escher and the geometric dance patterns of the dance company Pilobolus helped students appreciate the relevance of mathematics to art and life. Students then choreographed brief dances involving geometric…

Discusses the extent of students' difficulties with spatial structuring in volume and packing problems. Explains how to help students develop more powerful ways of thinking about such problems. (ASK)

Presents small group activities and materials to emphasize geometric properties and definitions. Activities are designed to encourage student reasoning, communication, and measurement. (ASK)

Argues that interactive geometry computer software connects visual justification and empirical thinking to higher levels of geometric thinking with logical justification in formal proof. Presents classic geometry activities using The Geometer's Sketchpad interactive software. (ASK)

Presents background information on the method used by Hipparchus to determine the distance between the earth and the moon. Describes student activities that employ Hipparchus's Method and Aristarchus's Method for determining the relative distance of the sun and the moon from the earth and Eratosthenes's Method for finding the circumference of the…

Explores the role of software tools in geometry problem solving and how these tools, in interaction with activities that embed the goals of teachers and students, mediate the problem solving process. Through analysis of successful student responses, shows how dynamic software tools can not only scaffold the solution process but also help students…

Chronicles a teacher's first year teaching geometry at the Hershey Montessori Farm School in Huntsburg, Ohio. Instructional methods relied on Euclid primary readings and combined pure abstract logic with practical applications of geometry on the land. The course included geometry background imparted by Montessori elementary materials as well as…

This article describes how two middle school teachers incorporated algebraic thinking into their textbook-based geometry lessons. One teacher embedded algebraic concepts within an existing textbook lesson while the other teacher elicited algebraic thinking by extending a textbook lesson. (Contains 5 figures.)

This article describes a hands-on activity in which students convert decimals to fractions, measure, make scale drawings, use algebraic formulas, and use visualization to construct a three-dimensional physical model of a portion of the seafloor. In the process, they learn about sound, speed, and ocean exploration. (Contains 2 figures.)

The author describes a pilot study to investigate the extent to which learners use imagery in a variety of spatial problems. In order to discover how to encourage pupils to use imagery and thus to become better problem solvers, this study set out firstly to explore how pupils are able to use imagery in a variety of tasks. The tasks involved mental…

This article discusses a comparative study, funded by the European Union, of the teaching of mathematics in five European countries, (Flanders, England, Finland, Hungary and Spain) to students in the upper primary (ages 10-12) and lower secondary (12-14) years. These ages were chosen as they represent a time when many students' experiences of…

In this article, the author shows some simple examples of ways in which "Autograph" can enhance learning in the KS3 curriculum. He began using version 2 with A-level students to help them visualise concepts in pure mathematics. He has "Autograph" projected to the front board to keep learners focused on mathematical activity…

This paper argues that better understanding of the educational integration of new technologies calls for broader account to be taken of the complex ongoing practices of school mathematics education. To frame its concerns, the paper opens by drawing on key studies of the general place of technology in classroom practice and teacher thinking. The…

In this paper, difficulties of students in the case of computer-mediated teaching of geometry in a traditional classroom are considered within the framework of "transactional distance", a concept well known in distance education. The main interest of this paper is to record and describe in detail the different forms of…

This study analyzed how one teacher used contemporary children's literature to supplement middle-grades geometry. The teacher's students were matched to students in other classes on general reading, general mathematics, and geometry. Student and teacher interviews, observation notes, and video tape recordings provided insights into fluency and…