Describes an activity in which the students utilize the mathematics concepts of ratio, proportion, and data tabulation to examine the relationship between air pressure, temperature, and humidity. Students learn to approximate partial pressure by using humidity and temperature readings and by interpolating from the vapor pressure-temperature table.…

One of five articles in the second section, "Deepening Relationships through PDS Brings Change in Practice," this article describes a collaborative research project between a middle school mathematics teacher and a university mathematics professor. (SM)

Analyzes case study data of 10 low achieving students, ages 14-15, to examine the effects of participation in computer spreadsheet sessions on their understanding of mathematical symbols. Participation improved students' attitudes toward problem solving. (MDH)

This document ties the essential skills needed in mathematics to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards to help facilitate future curriculum development. The overall goal for the 21st century is to make mathematical power a reality for all students. The rationale for this document can be found…

Topological and algebraic scales were compared in the representation of the concept of human worth in behavioral-semantic terms. In a first experiment, seven doctoral students of Business Administration in Sweden explored the notion of worth using definitions from at least 10 dictionaries as the intentional-semantic content. Each subject served as…

Laboratory experiments by Steele and Aronson (1995) found that African-American subjects' performance on difficult verbal items, described as a verbal problem-solving task, was adversely affected when they were asked about their ethnicity just before working on the items. These results were attributed to stereotype threat. Asking about ethnicity…

Describes 4 activities for levels K-2, 3-5, 4-6, and 6-8 and a family activity that asks students to describe their community; use coordinates to represent the 4 voyages of Columbus; write a story based on a line graph of Lewis and Clark's expedition; determine serving sizes for astronauts in space; and investigate different modes of…

This paper investigates the teacher's role in discussion-intensive pedagogy, arguing that one of the teacher's roles is to support an atmosphere of intellectual ferment. It offers possible language and stance for examining, describing, and analyzing these aspects of classroom discourse; language that is capable of finer distinctions, and a stance…

This curriculum module contains lesson plans and application activities that were developed to help adult students master the mathematics skills needed to earn a general high school equivalency diploma. Included in the module are materials designed to help students improve their understanding of mathematics and achieve the following objectives:…

Explains how a computer uses its vision to determine the area, edge length, width, height, and center of mass in two dimensions from photos of backlit sea shells. Includes HyperCard codes used to instruct the computer to make the calculations. (MDH)

The focus of this paper is to further understanding of the distribution and the effects of an expanded conception of opportunity to learn on student mathematics achievement. In addition to descriptive statistics, a set of two-level hierarchical linear models was employed to analyze a subset of the restricted-use National Education Longitudinal…

Six classroom research-based instructional projects funded under Chapter 2 are described, and their outcomes are summarized. The projects each used computer hardware and software in the classroom setting. The projects and their salient points include: (1) the Science Technology Project, in which 48 teachers and 2,847 students in 18 schools used…

Discusses the use of games to learn mathematics both in the classroom and at home. Games promote nonroutine learning, cooperative learning, problem solving, communication, and reasoning. Included are store-bought games, games made specifically for educational purposes, and multicultural games. A table lists many common games and their uses. (JAF)

This document, the first of three volumes, reports on the 15th annual conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (PME) held in Italy 1991. Plenary addresses and speakers are: "Social Interaction and Mathematical Knowledge" (B. M. Bartolini); "Meaning: Image Schemata and Protocols" (W.…

Describes a study which measured how ninth-grade students integrated information about mathematical concepts when working with Triple Representation Model software. Tables, graphs, and algebraic functions were linked, allowing students to manipulate several representations of the same concept. Examples of mathematical problems and student case…