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Subjects:
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Mathematics
Arithmetic. Concept formation. Decimals. Fractions. Instructional issues. Misconceptions. Percentage. Process skills. Professional development. Ratios. Teachers. Teaching methods. |
Resource Type:
Professional development. Media Type:
Print material.
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Abstract:
This collection of mathematics teaching cases, written by and for teachers of grades 4 through 8, is intended to serve as a catalyst for improving curriculum and instruction specific to fractions, decimals, ratios, and percents. These short cases are designed to stimulate discussion and collaborative reflection. The accompanying facilitator's discussion guide contains suggestions for structuring a teacher study group as well as a series of questions and issues raised by each of the cases. Each case story describes the events that created a problem, the classroom context in which the problem occurred, and the teacher's attempts to resolve the problem. For example, in Six-Tenths or Four-Fifths of a Dollar, a grade 4 teacher discovers that 26 of her 30 students would rather have six-tenths of a dollar. The teacher suspects that this problem may have been difficult for the students because the solution was not geometrically motivated; in other words, the dollar was not physically divided. Questions raised in the facilitator's discussion guide include, Why might students focus only on the numerator?, Which are more difficult to understand, parts of a set or parts of a whole?, and What are the strengths and weaknesses associated with the use of manipulatives when representing fractions? In How Can 100% of Something Be Just One Thing?, a grade 5 teacher addresses the importance of making sense of percentages and of conceptual understanding. She recognizes that her students need additional experiences with the concept of 100% but is unsure as to how to proceed. Issues raised in the facilitator's discussion guide include the differences between conceptual understanding and procedural knowledge, the colloquial use of one hundred percent, and the possibility that curriculum materials reinforce the idea that 100% is 100. Each case story is followed by a list of suggested readings. (Author/CMS) |
