Problems to Ponder provides 28 varied, classroom-ready mathematics problems that span grades PK-12, arranged in order of grade band. Links to the problem answers are available in this department.
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Gabriel Matney, Julia Porcella, and Shannon Gladieux
This article shares the importance of giving K-12 students opportunities to develop spatial sense. We explain how we designed Quick Blocks as an activity to engage our students in both spatial reasoning and number sense. Several examples of students thinking are shared as well as a classroom dialogue.
Jessica T. Ivy, Sarah B. Bush, and Barbara J. Dougherty
To promote reversibility and strengthen number sense, we created an engaging and novel rational number exploration, which promoted flexible and reflective thinking. A class of fifth-grade students took an active role in a collaborative learning task, discussed their strategies, revisited the task, and reflected on their self-constructed generalizations.
Daniel Edelen, Heather Simpson, and Sarah B. Bush
The incorporation of the “M” in STEAM must extend beyond simply a tool to address science and engineering standards (Authors, 2016; NCSM/NCTM, 2018). We present a mathematics- rich STEAM inquiry in which elementary students engaged in solving the issue of homelessness for one family in need.
Angela T. Barlow
In this commentary, I share my changing perspective of our new journal as I advanced through the process of becoming the inaugural Editor-in-Chief. Within this narrative, I offer insights into the affordances of the new features of the journal and its contents.
Courtney Starling and Ian Whitacre
Introduce your students to a fun and innovative game to encourage precise communication
Erin Turner, Amanda T. Sugimoto, Kathleen Stoehr, and Erica Kurz
Research-based strategies are described for supporting students as they mathematize real-world scenarios and create inequalities to model situations and contexts from their own lives.
Imani Masters Goffney
Postscript items are designed as rich grab-and-go resources that any teacher can quickly incorporate into his or her classroom repertoire with little effort and maximum impact. Increase mathematical confidence by creating ways for students to show they are “smart” in math through Smartness Wordles™, collections of words in graphic representation.
Melissa D. Gunter
Writing about mathematics holds a wealth of benefits for students. When students are given opportunities to write in math class, it helps develop mathematical thinking and language (Carter 2009; McCarthy 2008; Yang 2005), encourages self-reflection (Carter 2009; Danielson 2010; O'Kelley 2013), and provides a better way to organize ideas (Linhart 2014; Rogers 2014). Many teachers incorporate journaling and other types of reflective writing into their instruction already (Sjoberg, Slavit, and Coon 2004; Sanders 2009), but what about other forms of writing? NCTM states the importance of writing, in that students in the middle grades should be “more explicit about basing their writing on a sense of audience and purpose” (NCTM 2000, p. 62). How can we help students develop this important skill in math class?.
Holland W. Banse, Natalia A. Palacios, Eileen G. Merritt, and Sara E. Rimm-Kaufman
Eliminate obstacles to effective classroom communication with these research-tested suggestions.
