Polygon Capture: A Geometry Game

1998 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 90-94
Author(s):  
William M. Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
School Students ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Evaluation Standards ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
School Curricula

The curriculum and evaluation standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989) calls for an increased role for geometry in the primary and middle school curricula. An important mathematical strand in its own right, geometry also provides opportunities to promote and assess mathematical communication, reasoning, and problem-solving skills. Unfortunately, many students lack the vocabulary and the conceptual understanding needed to desctibe geometric relationships. This atiicle describes a game, Capture the Polygons, that I have designed to help middle school students think about geometric properties and the relationships among them. A version of the game has been tested in firth- and sixth-grade classes as part of the field test of Fifth Grade Everyday Mathematics (Bell et al. 1995). Observations of classes playing the game, as well as feedback from their teachers, indicate that students find the game challenging but fun. Depending on the background of the students, it can be played at different levels of difficulty.

Developing Number Sense on the Number Line

2001 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 448-451
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Bay
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Rational Numbers ◽  
Number Line ◽  
School Students ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
And Algebra

One of the most important lessons that I have learned as a teacher is that seemingly boring problems on paper can come alive if I can find a way to lift them off the page. This transformation took place when the number line in my classroom became a brightly colored rope that stretched the length of the room, held by a student at each end. I first saw this idea as an approach to help young children order numbers from 1 to 10, then adapted it for middle school students. The scope of the activity eventually expanded to include explorations of large numbers, rational numbers, and algebra. As I saw improvement in students' conceptual understanding and their enjoyment of the life-sized number line, I used it more often in my classroom. I also found that the activities with the number line involved communication, reasoning, and justification— important processes in learning mathematics (NCTM 1989, 2000).

Take Time for Action: Perimeter or Area? Which Measure Is It?

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Michaele F. Chappell ◽  
Denisse R. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Mathematics Curriculum ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Past ◽  
Fundamental Understanding ◽  
K 12

During the past twenty years, documents have recommended that the mathematics curriculum include measurement for all grades, K–12 (NCTM 1980, 1989). Indeed, students interact daily with measurement in their physical environment, for example, by finding the distance from home to school, their height and weight, and wall space for posters. Adolescents bring to the classroom varied conceptions of measurement, which may be in the form of basic applications or general formulas. All too often, a fundamental understanding of these ideas is sacrificed while students learn general formulas. This situation is particularly true for attributes of perimeter and area. To what extent do middle school students possess a conceptual understanding of these measurement concepts?

Using Video-Based Instruction via Augmented Reality to Teach Mathematics to Middle School Students With Learning Disabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan O. Kellems ◽  
Carrie Eichelberger ◽  
Giulia Cacciatore ◽  
Mikaela Jensen ◽  
Brynn Frazier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Functional Relation ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
School Students ◽  
Mathematics Intervention ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Based Instruction ◽  
The Individual

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of video-based mathematics instruction for seven middle school students with specific learning disability (SLD), using an augmented reality-based training package. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps students performed correctly to solve each type of mathematics problem. The independent variable was the augmented reality video-based intervention, which used video to model the individual steps for solving four types of multistep mathematics problems: (a) addition and subtraction of integers, (b) multiplication and division of integers, (c) using ratio reasoning to convert measurement units, and (d) using multiplication and division to calculate rate of change. Results indicated a functional relation between the video-based mathematics intervention and the percentage of steps completed correctly for each type of problem. All seven participants showed significant gains immediately after receiving the intervention and maintained improved problem-solving skills in at least three out of the four problem categories.

Birthdays and the Binary System: A Magical Mixture

1997 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Karen S. Karp ◽  
Robert N. Ronau
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Binary System ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
School Level ◽  
Birth Date ◽  
School Students ◽  
Evaluation Standards ◽  
System A ◽  
Middle School Level

Middle school students rank their birthday as being the most important day of the year for them and one that they eagerly anticipate, according to an informal poll. Teachers can capitalize on this interest by engaging them in the mathematical birth-date activities described in this article. Applications and tasks that are relevant to students' lives have been shown to motivate students at the middle school level, according to the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 1989).

Using Geospatial Technology to Promote Middle School Students' Critical Thinking on Socioscientific Issues

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wardell Anthony Powell
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Socioscientific Issues ◽  
Sixth Grade ◽  
Geospatial Technologies ◽  
School Students ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Summer Enrichment ◽  
Enrichment Program ◽  
The Impact

This chapter is a demonstration of how to use geospatial technologies to promote middle school students' abilities to think critically and to argue persuasively on socioscientific issues. Forty-three sixth grade students from a summer enrichment program operated by a non-profit organization in the northeastern United States participated in this study. The duration of this curricular unit took place over five consecutive 1-hour period blocks. The researcher utilized qualitative procedures to analyze the students' abilities to think critically and to argue persuasively on socioscientific issues. The results indicate that the students' background knowledge on the impact of human activities on climate change was enhanced with the use of videos, graphics, audio-visuals, and other hands-on activities. Additionally, the knowledge the students gained from the events in this investigation enhanced their abilities to propose convincing arguments in opposition or support for the socioscientific issues investigated.

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