Investigations on topics such as the dangers of short term loans, interest, and other topics of financial literacy. Explore the math behind current topics such as ethanol and hybrid cars. Learn how math mistakes in the media have had significant consequences. These and other fascinating math investigations show the ability of mathematics to cut through deception and flawed thinking.
Each investigation in this book asks a question and presents a plan of action. None has a single 'right answer, ' yet all can be answered in some way. There's no answer key--it's up to students to use their critical thinking skills and number sense to evaluate their work and the work of their classmates. It's up to you to help them recognize and apply the math ideas embedded in every investigation, such as patterns and relationships, computation, estimation, measurement, statistics, and proportional reasoning.- from the book.Grades 5-8.
"Where are we ever going to use this?" Every high school math student has asked this question. Often teachers themselves aren't sure how to respond. One answer is that higher mathematics learned in high school will be essential to learning yet more at the college level. A more satisfactory answer calls for an awareness of how math is applied in many specific areas. Written primarily for teachers, this book presents hundreds of practical applications for mathematics--from baseball statistics to the theory of relativity--that can be understood by anyone with a knowledge of high school algebra, geometry and trigonometry.
This book makes independent learning easy for both the student and the teacher (even those whose math skills are a little rusty). The fun activities in this book teach difficult concepts in areas such as statistics, probability, algebra, physics, trigonometry, astronomy, and calculus. Grades 3-9
"Making Math Connections integrates mathematics into a variety of subject areas and real-life settings, providing motivation for students to want to learn the material being presented. The book also uses a variety of activities to promote learning for students with different interests and learning styles." -Steven P. Isaak, Mathematics Teacher Advanced Technologies Academy, Las Vegas, NV Spark student learning by making an authentic connection between math and real-life experiences! Students often fail to make the connection between "school math" and their everyday lives, becoming passive recipients of isolated, memorized rules and formulas. This remarkable new resource will help students become active problem-solvers who see mathematics as a meaningful tool that can be used outside the classroom. Hope Martin applies more than 40 years of teaching experience to developing a myriad of high-interest, meaningful math investigations. Using a teacher-friendly format, she shows educators how to integrate into the math curriculum engaging, everyday topics, such as forensics, natural disasters, tessellations, the stock market, and literature. This project-based resource encourages cooperative, interactive learning experiences that not only help students make connections between various math skills but also make important connections to the real world. Aligned to NCTM standards, these mathematical applications are broken down into complete units focusing on different topics. Each chapter includes: Background information on the topic Step-by-step procedures for math investigations Assessment strategies Journal questions Reproducible worksheets Additional related readings and Internet Web sites By increasing their awareness of meaningful everyday applications, students will learn to use math as an essential tool in their daily lives.
Real Life Math is an ideal tool for teaching math to adults who are learning ESL or who are at the pre-GED level. With examples based on real-life situations that your students are eager to master--from finding an apartment to using a map--this book is sure to keep them interested and motivated. For use with Grades 7 and Up.
Mathematicians and scientists have been closely tied to many famous disasters. The Challenger explosion, the failure of the Mars Orbiter, and the Kansas City Hyatt Regency walkway collapse all involved thinking errors. This book presents the ten things our future mathematicians and scientists must know to prevent these kinds of tragedies from occurring. Because science and mathematics instruction is often dominated by facts and calculation, children are rarely exposed to these important concepts. Over 50 stories are included that show children the strong connections between mathematics and science and the real world.
Provides opportunities for engaging, differentiated, open-ended problem-solving experiences. Features more than two hundred tasks grouped by content standards that reflect the NCTM Standards and the NCTM Curriculum Focal Points.
We are continually bombarded by charts, graphs, and quotes from various studies with the goal of influencing our opinions, health, or buying habits, yet we seldom know if we are being manipulated, deceived, and lied to by those presenting the data. Scammed by Statistics uses countless real examples to illustrate the good and evil of numbers and in the process, exposes the numerous techniques that are used to distort and misuse numbers. Readers will never again be able to read the news, watch TV, or read a magazine without a degree of healthy skepticism.
For middle and high school teachers of mathematics and science, this book is filled with examples of instructional strategies that address students’ readiness levels, interests, and learning preferences. It shows teachers how to formatively assess their students by addressing differentiated learning targets. Included are detailed examples of differentiated formative assessment schedules, plus tips on how to collaborate with others to improve assessment processes. Teachers will learn how to adjust instruction for the whole class, for small groups, and for individuals. They will also uncover step-by-step procedures for creating their own lessons infused with opportunities to formatively assess students who participate in differentiated learning activities.
