Recognizing the complex nature of students’ geometric reasoning, we present guidelines and suggestions for implementing a Guess My Shape minilesson that focuses students’ attention on properties and attributes of geometric shapes.
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Developing Property-Based Geometric Reasoning
Rick Anderson and Peter Wiles
Children’s Games and Games for Children
Nat Banting and Chad Williams
This article examines the mathematical activity of five-year-old Liam to explore the difference between the mathematics games designed for children and the children's games that emerge through playful activity. We propose that this distinction is a salient one for teachers observing mathematical play for evidence of mathematical sense making.
Using KenKen to Build Reasoning Skills
Harold B. Reiter, John Thornton, and G. Patrick Vennebush
Through KenKen puzzles, students can explore parity, counting, subsets, and various problem-solving strategies.
Folding Corners of the Habits of Mind
Peter Wiles
Students fold paper to make and test conjectures while reasoning about and discussing geometric ideas.
Improving Student Reasoning in Geometry
Bobson Wong and Larisa Bukalov
Parallel geometry tasks with four levels of complexity involve students in writing and understanding proof.
Thinking Like a Mathematician
Michael K. Weiss and Deborah Moore-Russo
The moves that mathematicians use to generate new questions can also be used by teachers and students to tie content together and spur exploration.
Pattern-block frenzy
Katie L. Anderson
Teachers share success stories and ideas that stimulate thinking about the effective use of technology in K–grade 6 classrooms. This article describes a set of lessons where sixth graders use virtual pattern blocks to develop proportional reasoning. Students' work with the virtual manipulatives reveals a variety of creative solutions and promotes active engagement. The author suggests that technology is most effective when coupled with worthwhile mathematical tasks and rich classroom discussions.
Informing Practice: Examples as Tools for Constructing Justifications
research matters for teachers
Kristen N. Bieda and Jerilynn Lepak
Research explores how to help students build from, instead of building with, examples when justifying mathematical ideas.
A Super Way to Soak in Linear Measurement
Terri L. Kurz
After analyzing advertising claims regarding water shooters, students present their findings.
Is There a “Best” Rectangle?
R. Alan Russell
In trying to find the ideal dimensions of rectangular paper for folding origami, students explore various paper sizes, encountering basic number theory, geometry, and algebra along the way.
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