A recent post on an NCTM discussion group asked about tools to help students visualize and understand addition and subtraction of integers. We wanted to make a visualization tool for students that they could use in multiple ways. The result is the Web Sketchpad model below (and here). Page one focuses on addition while … Continue Reading ››
Arrays can be enormously helpful tools for helping young learners to visualize multiplication. Early work with arrays also sets the stage for more advanced mathematics, like binomial multiplication. In this blog post, I present several interactive arrays built with Web Sketchpad as part of the Dynamic Number project.
The interactive array model below (and Continue Reading ››
How much tolerance do you have for puzzlement? When faced with a mathematical conundrum, do you embrace the challenge, or do you feel some trepidation at confronting the unknown?
For many of us, an unfamiliar mathematical task is sure to raise our heart rate a beat or two. As teachers, it’s easy to translate these fears … Continue Reading ››
Estimation is an important mathematical skill, yet we rarely ask students to make estimates that relate to fractions. As part of the Dynamic Number project, we created a "mystery" fraction challenge that presents a green point somewhere between 0 and 1 on the number line. The point's location can be represented as a fraction with numerator between … Continue Reading ››
We live in a golden age of number puzzles. Sudoku is probably the most famous of all modern-day number puzzles, but there are many Japanese puzzles that are also gaining popularity, such as KenKen and Menseki Meiro. In this post, I'd like to introduce a number puzzle for young learners that predates … Continue Reading ››