Discusses ways to help students improve their problem-solving skills. Presents some mathematics problems to be used in classrooms. (ASK)

Outlines four solution methods for the Mangoes Problem, discusses how middle school students have approached the problem, suggests generalizations of the problem, and gives an example of a related problem that can be used as an extension to explore the four strategies discussed. (MKR)

This document contains informal geometry explorations that provide students with opportunities to investigate the environment from a geometric perspective, construct connections between related mathematics and other content areas, and solve problems in a geometric context. The activities provide experiences that develop curiosity, understanding,…

Intermediate and junior high school students became very involved with this learning activity which involved detective work. Working in groups, students had to solve a riddle based on a sequence of clues. The answer to each set of clues was either a person, an event, or a place. (RM)

Describes how successful study of mathematics requires a set of problem-solving processes that help students reason mathematically, offers a context in which students can communicate their reasoning, and provides opportunities for students to link their learning to prior mathematical contexts. Discusses the three basic processes of Krutetskii's…

This study of 75 gifted students in grades 6-8 found that the group receiving Creative Problem Solving training with transfer strategies infused had a higher percentage of students applying the strategies to problems out of the context of the training sessions, compared to control group students and students receiving traditional training.…

Describes a paradigm for generating a variety of problem situations in middle school mathematics, ranging from combining a single mathematical concept or process with a single context, to combining multiple concepts or processes with multiple contexts. Offers several illustrative examples. (SR)

Parent-teacher conferences are often mutually unsatisfactory. If some improvement in the child's behavior or performance is expected, teachers need to identify problems, set reasonable goals, develop a course of action, and provide some means of followup. (MLF)

This book of more than 160 environmental science activities is designed to help students understand environmental issues, ask questions, and find solutions to the problems. Introductory sections address: (1) the nature of major global problems and a history of environmental concern; (2) basic environmental science terminology and scientific study…

This paper summarizes and extends a study of SES (socioeconomic status) related differences in a mathematics classroom aligned with current U.S. reforms. Qualitative analyses compared the lower- and higher-SES students' experiences with whole-class discussion and contextualized, open-ended mathematics problems. The higher-SES students tended to…

Using data from a longitudinal case study, the paper explores how an experienced teacher changed schools and grappled with mainstreaming, writing instruction, and the extended learning program. The story illustrates how, even for experienced teachers, the development of expertise is very uneven and a product of complex person-place interaction.…

Describes a mathematics education research project conducted among seventh graders with the goal of identifying important processes, skills, and understandings needed by students to use mathematical ideas in everyday situations. Discusses information utilization skills required for solving a written problem containing extensive verbal and…

Summarizes solutions submitted for a problem posed in a previous issue of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. The problem pertains to making a fraction equivalent to one-third that uses all the numbers, zero through nine, exactly once. Includes actual student solutions. (DDR)

Describes a variation on a problem from the history of mathematics in which the class is divided into cooperative learning groups of four students each. Each group is challenged to find a procedure for resolving the situation with several solutions emerging. Emphasizes the importance of examining "incorrect" answers and discussing the…

Focuses on mental strategies for computing in the middle grades. Describes what they are and why they are important. Refers to relevant research and presents some teaching ideas for developing these strategies beyond the primary grades. Includes a discussion of the role of mental calculation in everyday life both past and future. Contains 27…