The mathematical egg hunt is a hands-on activity designed to help students understand mathematical relations in an Introduction to Proofs course. This activity gives students the opportunity to practice selecting which ordered pairs do and do not belong to a given relation in a moderately competitive egg hunt. It is designed to be low-stakes, yet…

Describes a nine-hour, three-sequence mathematics course in the elementary teacher certification program at Texas Tech University. Emphasizes the development, philosophy, design, and implementation of the sequence. Presents excerpts from the activities and group exercises outlined for the course. Contains 15 references. (Author/ASK)

Presents a college calculus program based on the discovery method and the educational psychology literature used to develop it. Lists departmental, educational, and calculus reform goals, and describes characteristics of the program, including relaxed atmosphere, use of visualization, and supplemental teaching techniques. (13 references) (MKR)

Proposes a calculus curriculum combining formative knowledge, mathematical foundations, and instrumental knowledge in mathematics. Discusses each of these components, the organization of a core calculus course, and the use of problem solving in calculus instruction. (10 references) (MKR)

Compares experiences in two calculus courses for non-science majors: a traditional business calculus course and a course using materials from the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard. The latter program is recommended. (MKR)

Describes the use of formal writing and speaking in upper level geometry and analysis courses. Includes student journals, students reviewing written proofs with a student writing associate, and simulated conferences. Includes a 16-item list of possible topics. (Author/MKR)

A major obstacle students encounter in their study of mathematics is the language of the discipline. The words used to convey mathematical concepts are foreign and conceal the notions that they are intended to reveal. Discusses this problem and presents suggestions to help make students sensitive to and aware of the precision required to…

Presents an alternate form of assignment, called "Special Problems," that incorporates writing in journals into the mathematics classroom. The method requires students to provide process narratives to accompany selected homework exercises. Allows the teacher to monitor the student's thought processes and development. (MDH)

Uses small axiom systems to teach logic and reasoning to first year mathematics students. Incorporates a collaborative technique to train students to write formal arguments in a nonintimidating atmosphere by applying logic informally to small axiomatic systems. Provides examples of student-designed systems. (MDH)

Hypermedia provides an easy-to-use option for adding visualization, via the computer, to the classroom. Some examples of this medium are presented, including applications in basic linear algebra and calculus, and a tutorial in electromagnetism. (Author)

Presents eight techniques for teaching undergraduate mathematics whose main aims are (1) learning how to pose problems in an easier and more attractive form; (2) fostering usage of mathematical symbolism; and (3) checking the level of comprehension of the principal ideas. Examples illustrate each technique. (Author/MDH)

Presents examples of questions and answers arising from a hands-on and exploratory approach to discrete mathematics using cuisenaire rods. Combinatorial questions about trains formed of cuisenaire rods provide the setting for discovering numerical patterns by experimentation and organizing the results using induction and successive differences.…

Offers calculus students and teachers the opportunity to motivate and discover the first Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTC) in an experimental, experiential, inductive, intuitive, vernacular-based manner. Starting from the observation that a distance traveled at a constant speed corresponds to the area inside a rectangle, the FTC is discovered,…

Presents one model for a liberal arts mathematics course that combines probability and calculus. Describes activities utilized in the course to heighten students' interest and encourage student involvement. Activities include use of visualization, take-home tests, group problem solving, research papers, and computer usage with DERIVE computer…

Describes numerical differentiation and the central difference formula in numerical analysis. Presents three computer programs that approximate the first derivative of a function utilizing the central difference formula. Analyzes conditions under which the approximation formula is exact. (MDH)