Middle schoolers may not easily see the connection between data analysis problems invented for the classroom and math problems encountered in their daily lives. You will spark their interest in data analysis by showing them its value in finding solutions to real problems in many settings — from buying a soda to taking after-school jobs […]

If you want to “hook” your class on math right from the start, you may want to consider one of these real-world projects. Students deal with real data in these investigations—collecting, presenting, and analyzing their findings. As they work on the NCTM Data Analysis and Probability Standard, they apply school mathematics in contexts arising outside […]

Sometimes geoboards are left on the shelf because we don’t know what to do with them. They can be powerful tools for students to study, length, area and perimeter. (But remember to be careful with the perimeter part because the length of one unit is only measured on the horizontal or vertical, not the diagonal.) […]

The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized the study of astronomy since its launch in 1990 and has sent a steady stream of striking images of space back to Earth from its orbit. It has:
Precisely measured the age of the universe
Found evidence of dark energy
Took images of distant galaxies in the young universe
Captured the “best […]

Factors and their multiples are so important to students’ work with fractions and number theory. These concepts come under the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Number and Operations Standard for the middle grades. The resources here are all hands-on, if only virtually. Important to their success is the classroom talk that the resources […]

Although the NCTM Standards do not have student expectations for learning mathematics history, exposure to this history can help students see real-world connections in mathematics.
Approximating Pi
Mathematics and science owe a great deal to Archimedes, including a way to approximate pi. Here is historical information along with an applet to approximate pi using the perimeter […]

Middle school students struggle with differentiating between science and technology. “Engineers, architects, and others who engage in design and technology use scientific knowledge to solve practical problems. [Emphasis added] They also usually have to take human values and limitations into account.” This quote comes from Benchmarks Online, a publication of the American Association for the […]

Really understanding what fractions are, how they fit on the number line, and how to operate with them - add, subtract, multiply, divide - is central to learning decimals and percentages. According to the NCTM Principles and Standards, students in the middle grades should be expected to acquire a deeper understanding of fractions, decimals, and […]

Now in its eleventh year, Earth Science Week is designed to promote awareness of the importance of the earth sciences. The theme of Earth Science Week 2008 is “No Child Left Inside.” Being held October 12-18, Earth Science Week 2008 will encourage young people to learn about the geosciences by getting away from the television, […]

Why take class time to investigate fractals? Granted, they are geometric figures and worthy of study for that reason alone. Moreover, their use in art and other areas connects mathematics to the world outside the textbook, as recommended by the NCTM Connections Standard. But a study of fractals also opens discussion of algorithm, dimension, and […]