Designed for a broad audience, including educators, camp directors, afterschool coordinators, and preservice teachers, this investigation aims to help individuals experience mathematics in unconventional and exciting ways by engaging them in the physical activity of building geometric shapes using ropes. Through this engagement, the author…

Geometry is the branch of mathematics that addresses spatial sense and geometric reasoning. Students begin to understand geometry through direct interaction with their physical world. Because it is the study of the physical attributes of the environment, geometry has relevance for every student; the world becomes a big classroom. As students see,…

This article presents a sequence of learning activities that lead to using the area model of multiplication to understand the distributive property (DP). The connection between area and multiplication is an important one, both for algebraic thinking and for geometry, as indicated in two of the critical areas for the third grade in the Common Core…

In this article, Teachers use "studio" time to review videotaped classroom episodes, learn about students' developmental levels in geometry, and increase students' use of mathematical language and vocabulary.This article has a twofold purpose: (1) to share the power of opening the classroom door to a community of professional…

This article showcases the benefits of the alliance the authors have established during the past two years with the Barnes Foundation to add more mathematics activities to their repertoire and to integrate more art into their mathematics lessons. Recently, they decided to focus on activities at the K-grade 2 level that could be used as an on-site…

Tasks that develop spatial and algebraic reasoning are crucial for learning and applying advanced mathematical ideas. In this article, the authors describe how two early childhood teachers used stories as the basis for a unit that supports spatial reasoning in kindergartners and first graders. Having mathematical experiences that go beyond…

Given the recent release and widespread state adoption of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM), teachers across the country now have common goals related to what their students should understand about particular mathematical topics. The authors of CCSSM explain, "Asking a student to understand something means asking a teacher to…

Current mathematical standards expect students in the upper elementary grades to learn and use three-dimensional models and represent them in two dimensions using isometric and orthogonal representations. In this article, the authors address the challenges of teaching students and teachers alike, including those who have little or no experience…

The concepts of angle and angle measure have been acknowledged as difficult for elementary school students to grasp (Strutchens, Martin, and Kenney 2003). The Wedge activity (Browning and Garza-Kling 2009; Van de Walle 2004; Wilson 1990) can provide an opportunity for students to examine their understanding of angle measurement and to rethink what…

Teachers have the opportunity to capitalize on a vast array of real-world, two- and three-dimensional objects as they guide students in developing a conceptual understanding of geometric shapes. An important component of the NCTM Standards is to use teaching methodologies that engage children in making real-world connections to the mathematics…

Children's mathematical questions are often based in real-world experiences, as they instinctively make connections to the world around them. In teaching math methods courses, this author recently started to emphasize the importance of fostering curiosity in, and activating the thinking of, the students. In this article, she describes how to tap…

Educators often speak of teaching as "listening," yet they seldom encounter it in practice. What converts pedagogical space into authentic educational experience is a climate of respect that is born of serious, just, humble, and generous relationships in which both the authority of the teacher and the freedom of the students are ethically…

The wealth of assessment options that exists offers teachers and students a "menu" of selections. Just as matching appetite needs with appropriate food selection is fundamental to a successful dining experience, matching assessment options to targeted achievement needs is crucial to an effective assessment experience. The author uses a geometry…

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that teaching mathematics should greatly differ from teaching language arts. Classroom teachers at Munich International School in Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany, did not pay much attention to what language means to learning and teaching mathematics--until their geometry students offered language surprises…

During a two-week summer professional development workshop, teams of intermediate-level school teachers and college methods instructors crafted mathematics learning modules--activities, lesson plans, work sheets, and technology-oriented tasks--with the primary goal of strengthening students' understanding of various geometric concepts. They recast…