The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics calls for an increased emphasis on proof and reasoning in school mathematics curricula. Given such an emphasis, mathematics teachers must be prepared to structure curricular experiences so that students develop an appreciation for both the value of proof and for those strategies that will assist them…

This study investigates how well 381 prospective elementary, early childhood, and special education majors solved four arithmetic problems that required using the order of operations. Self-reported data show these students to be relatively able mathematically and confident in their ability, with no substantial dislike of mathematics. The…

Research on the usefulness of calculators in mathematics instruction is cited, and some activities using calculators to develop skills with reading numbers, counting, basic facts, multiplication and division, problem solving, estimation, percentages, decimals, patterns, probability, and games are described. (MNS)

Presented are several consequences of Ceva's theorem which deal with ratios of segments formed when a parallel to one of the sides is drawn through the point of concurrency. The proofs of these theorems are included and are of varying degrees of difficulty. (KR)

Describes activities for developing mathematical and science process skills using the labels on food packages. Provides objectives, rationale, lesson outlines, procedures, worksheets, evaluation, teacher notes, extensions, and student worksheets for the activities. (YP)

Identifies some mathematics and science skills required for successful performance in entry-level positions filled by high school graduates and determines if a group of high school graduates in the work force have those skills by using a needs assessment technique. (YP)

Clarifies the relationship between oral reading accuracy and the ability to solve worded arithmetic problems using literature reviews. Discusses the implications of oral reading and lists eight guidelines for mathematics teachers. Thirty-seven references are listed. (YP)

Presents a lesson to compute differences of positive and negative numbers using historical events of science. Describes the skills, concepts, objectives, rationale, outline, procedure, evaluation, and extensions of the lesson. Provides a list of events in the history of science. (YP)

Reviews two programs: (1) "The Weather Machine" on understanding weather and weather forecasting and (2) "The Mystery of the Hotel Victoria" on problem solving in mathematics. Presents the descriptions, advantages, and weaknesses of the software. (YP)

Presented are three cases for intuitive understanding in secondary and college level geometry. Four ways to develop the intuition (physical experience, mutable manipulatives, visualization, and looking back) step are discussed. (YP)

Examines the students' understanding of mathematical structure and the relationship between problem solving and the identification of the structure in 13 word problems. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to assess how subjects organized word problems in their minds. (YP)

Described is an activity for grades kindergarten through three called "Let's Slide Down the Slope." Shows how to apply mathematics and scientific skills to the sliding demonstration. Provided are the procedures, a list of materials, key concepts, background, and extension of the activity. (YP)

Presents five integrated mathematics and science lessons in which students investigate the characteristics, behavior, lifecycles, and motion of mealworms and the feasibility of raising mealworms for profit. Purpose, time, materials needed, procedures, and extensions for each activity are provided. (MDH)

Presents a study that analyzed errors made by randomly chosen fourth grade students (25 of 57) while using the division algorithm and investigated the effect of remediation on identified systematic errors. Results affirm that error pattern diagnosis and directed remediation lead to new learning and long-term retention. (MDH)

Discusses three methods to teach the order of operations to middle school students: (1) asking students to fill in operations in a statement to obtain a given answer; (2) using mnemonics to remember operation order; and (3) having students discover the logic system used by their calculators. (MDH)