This task sequence for adding and subtracting like terms—grounded in the concepts of equivalence and algebra as generalized arithmetic—helps students see connections between concepts and procedures in algebra.
Browse
Building Algebraic Procedures From Concepts: Like Terms
Leah M. Frazee and Adam R. Scharfenberger
STEM and Social Consciousness
Krystal Jones Carter
A well-crafted classroom engineering challenge can effectively answer compelling questions about social and global responsibility.
Developing Meaning for Mathematical Expressions
John K. Lannin, Christopher Austin, and David C. Geary
Explore two ways that algebra students interpret mathematical expressions. Learn instructional tasks to help students develop meaning.
Harnessing the Power of a Single-Number Number Talk
Alison Williams and Lisa Lamb
Easy to implement, this strategy has a powerful positive impact in mathematics classrooms.
Making Sense of Algebraic Expressions in Context
Isabel White, Michael Foster, and Joanne Lobato
Explore three challenges that students faced and how they made progress.
Adaptations to Support the Flint Water Task
Dana L. Grosser-Clarkson and Joanna S. Hung
This Perspectives on Practice manuscript focuses on an innovation associated with “Engaging Teachers in the Powerful Combination of Mathematical Modeling and Social Justice: The Flint Water Task” from Volume 7, Issue 2 of MTE. The Flint Water Task has shown great promise in achieving the dual goals of exploring mathematical modeling while building awareness of social justice issues. This Perspectives on Practice article focuses on two adaptations of the task—gallery walks and What I Know, What I Wonder, What I Learned (KWL) charts—that we have found to enhance these learning opportunities. We found that the inclusion of a gallery walk supported our students in the development of their mathematical modeling skills by enhancing both the mathematical analyses of the models and the unpacking of assumptions. The KWL chart helps students document their increase in knowledge of the social justice issues surrounding the water crisis. Using the mathematical modeling cycle to explore social justice issues allows instructors to bring humanity into the mathematics classroom.
Mathematical Discussions: Revealing Biases
Ashley Schmidt, Treshonda Rutledge, Tandrea Fulton, and Sarah B. Bush
Do you use mathematical discussions to increase engagement in your classroom? In this Front and Center article, authors provide a discourse tool that can be used to reveal potential biases found in the implementation of the Five Practices.
Tackling Tangential Student Contributions
Blake E. Peterson, Shari L. Stockero, Keith R. Leatham, and Laura R. Van Zoest
Do your students ever share ideas that are only peripherally related to the discussion you are having? We discuss ways to minimize and deal with such contributions.
“Constructing Complexity for Differentiated Learning”
Catherine A. Little, Sherryl Hauser, Jeffrey Corbishley, and Introduction by: Denise M. Walston
From the Archives highlights articles from NCTM’s legacy journals, as chosen by leaders in mathematics education.
GPS: Rewriting Quantities and Expressions
S. Asli Özgün-Koca and Monica G. McLeod
Growing Problem Solvers provides four original, related, classroom-ready mathematical tasks, one for each grade band. Together, these tasks illustrate the trajectory of learners’ growth as problem solvers across their years of school mathematics.
