middle school mathematics resources

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Advanced Methods for Teaching Middle Mathematics Eric ShulerMHE 485

Instructor: Paula Raabe

Middle School Mathematics Resources

Journal Articles

ReThinking Schools Volume 25 No. 3 Spring 2011, Fuzzy Math A Meditation on Test Scoring.This journal article provides an interesting perspective on the task of scoring standardized Math tests.

On this day educators had been pulled from their classrooms, trained in fifteen minutes on the properway to score the tests objectively and the ensuing questions that may arise from this method.

Leavy, A.M.; Friel, S.N.; Mamer, J. D. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. Volume 14 No. 6February 2009. It's a Fird!: Can You Compute a Median of Categorical Data?

The authors of this journal article are all interested in elementary mathematics and are driven tochallenge instructors to teach for understanding. In this article students work with data of interest to themand through this medium attempt to understand the difference between numerical and categorical data.The expected outcome is that students develop an appreciation of this distinction as it relates to centraltendencies.

Brittany L. Hoffman, M Lynn Breyfogle, and Jason A. Dressler (November 2009) Mathematics Teachingin the Middle School Vol.15, No. 4: The Power of Incorrect Answers.

This article provided a powerful opportunity to allow practice of students explaining, supporting, andjustifying their responses. As opposed to students possibly guessing the right answer, we need to exposestudents to early chances to prove that their destinations are correct. This practice provides a basis forgeometric proofs at a later and more sophisticated stage in their math development.

Audio Resources

The Math Factor Podcasthttp://mathfactor.uark.edu

This audio resource is a production of the University of Arkansas and broadcast on a radio station inFayetteville, Arkansas, KUAF 91.3 FM. It a lot of interesting information about Math, puzzles,distinguished guests and the like. One podcast was called Finding Fibonacci and was devoted to thistopic. I even found out that 2011( our current year) can be the sum of eleven consecutive prime numbers 153 + 163 + 173 + 211 and 2011 itself is a prime number. Interesting stuff! Check it out!

The Mathgrad PodcastThis podcast discusses everyday math for everyday people. The goal is to investigate the mathematics

behind many real-life phenomena in a way that even the worst math-phobic will gain some perspective.Subjects range from the math that underlies voting schemes to the machinations of loan payments.


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Mathematics Audio Bookshttp://www.learnoutloud.com

LearnOutLoud.com is your one-stop destination for audio learning. It has thousands of educationalaudio books. The Math section has a variety of audio programs to help you understanding math and themany faces of this complex subject. You can select from Algebra tutorials or lessons on video withlecture courses like, The Joy of Thinking: The Beauty and Power of Classical Mathematical Ideas,

which delves deeper into math and presents it as an artistic and creative discipline.

Books

Fun with Roman Numerals by Adler, David A. with illustrations by III Miller, Edward. Holiday HouseNew York 2008

Roman numerals are all around: on clocks, in books, and on buildings. But what do they mean andhow do we use them. The accessible text and colorful illustrations of this picture book make or a fun andvibrant guide to Roman numerals, their meanings and uses.

Math Curse by Scieszka, Jon and Smith, Lane. Viking, a division of Penguin Books New York 1995.This picture book starts on the dedication page with two word problems by the author and illustrator

and on page one starts with the teacher, Mrs. Fibonacci, saying, ...you can think of everything as a Mathproblem. This book is a humorous way of looking at all the ways that numbers are encountered on adaily basis and how it can get confusing, especially for those people who profess that they can't doMath.

Jazz on a Saturday Nightby Dillon, Leo and Diane. The Blue Sky Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.New York 2007

Jazz is an original American art form born at the turn of the 20th Century out of blues, ragtime, andmarching band music, with origins in African music. This picture book is imbued with great artistic flairand features illustrations of some of the finest jazz musicians such as Miles Davis, Max Roach, and EllaFitzgerald. Music is a great way to grab students attention and teach some Math concepts such asfractions. Also, for those students who have not been exposed to jazz, it too can be explored from ahistorical perspective.

Lesson Plan Sources

Lessonplanspage.comThe supply of lesson plans here is more than sufficient. In addition to over 4,000 free lessons, it also

had every content area and multidisciplinary ideas. The site was quite useful in that it had links toteaching magazines, blogs, articles, teacher discussion forums and information about continuingeducation programs for teachers. Also, a teacher struggling with writing lesson plans could find a primercalled 10 Steps To Developing A Quality Lesson Plan. I definitely feel this source can make life as ateacher easier.

LessonPlanet.com
http://www.learnoutloud.com/http://www.learnoutloud.com/


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Sharon Rak, Professor of Mathematics, Roosevelt UniversitySharon Rak is a professor of mathematics at Roosevelt University who occasionally teaches classes at

National-Louis University. She is an outstanding teacher who makes the material both fun andinteresting. She has taught in an elementary school settings so she has a thorough understanding of thechallenges that teachers face in trying to construct meaning of math-related to middle school students.Outstanding choice if you can find and get her to your school.

Dr. Arlene Hambrick, Mathematics Instructor at National-Louis University and Associate Pastor at MaplePark United Methodist [email protected]

Dr. Hambrick is a person with a lot of knowledge and experience. She would be glad to visit yourclass and assist you in any way you see fit. In addition to having been one of my instructors, shem alsoministers at my mother's church. Good source of information; having had over thirty years teaching indiverse, urban environments.Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago - Money Museumhttp://ww.chicagofed.com

I would love to take my class on a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. I have been on thetour during Money Smart Week and the visit was quite fascinating. You learn where money comes fromand other interesting facts about currency such as that the Fed destroys huge amounts of money on a dailybasis. I was able to bring back to my class a cylindrical brick of shredded currency and this really piquedtheir interest. This field trip would capitalize on children's natural inquisitiveness about money. If theycan relate and it is of relevance, these lessons stick with children

Dr. Alfred Tatum, Associate Professor of Curriculum & Instruction and Director of UIC Reading Clinic.Dr. Tatum is a black professor who is a product of the Chicago Public Schools and has taken a keen

interest in issues related to educating adolescent black boys. He began his career as a Chicago publicschool teacher and has studied and written extensively about this topic. I know Dr. Tatum and have heardhim speak and he would be an invaluable resource for anyone grappling with the issue of educating thisgroup or boys in general.

Videos/ DVD/On-Line Streaming

MathTutorDVD.comThis website had DVDs, videos, and on-line streaming of Math lessons covering every topic in Math

and included Chemistry and Physics and even had some free videos to aid in the practice of key Mathskills and concepts.

The VideoMathTutor.comThis video site is filled with sources to help with mathematics topics. It begins with a section called

Tips for Students and continues with Calculator Tips, etc. It then presents the videos coveringvarious concepts in a video tutorial format from Basic Math on to Algebra and Formulas forGeometry.

Basic Math Videos in Middle Schoolhttp://www.mathvids.com
http://ww.chicagofed.com/http://www.mathvids.com/http://ww.chicagofed.com/http://www.mathvids.com/


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This site had videos prepared by teachers covering such topics as addition and subtraction, digits andplace value, equations and equalities, and order of operations, etc. It basically encompassed all importantmathematics skills in video format which would allow a student to follow along to learn, practice,andreview math concepts.Websites

www.nmsa.org

This is the website for the National Middle School Association, the organization that has made

its core the educational needs of the adolescent. Middle school students have unique needs and this

group focuses attention on these needs with the establishment of a strand reflective of their

circumstance called This We Believe. These are the values and beliefs on which the education of

the adolescent is based.

www.aaamath.com

This site offers connections to K-8 Math. It is well organized by grade level and sorted by Math

topics, from Addition to Subtraction, alphabetically. Connected to other subject areas and games.

An added plus was that the lessons were in Spanish, as well. Every topic or skill is presented and a

chance to practice the skill with an interactive and timed evaluator is available.

www.ixl.com

This is a website which focuses on the subject of mathematics. It advertises itself as, Math

practice that keeps you in the zone. In addition to it being used in all fifty states, it is used in one

hundred-fifty countries. This site is sectioned by grade-level and connects to the state standards for

each state and provides tips, lessons, and practice for each grade level through eighth- grade. The

site proudly proclaims that Algebra is coming, so I assume it will be providing assistance for high

school students, as well. Does provide 20 free lessons, but there is a cost after this.

Connections of Mathematics to Social Studies

The Ninth Ward by Jewel Parker Rhodes, Little Brown 2010.

The Ninth Ward is a lovely story about a young lady and her mother in the days before HurricaneKatrina. This book would be an ideal way to connect Math and Social Studies allowing students to studythe effects of the hurricane and study the role that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had in causing thedevastation in one of America's great cities.

The New York Times Daily Lesson: Mathematics/ Social Studieshttp://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers

This series from The New York Times draws on real-world issues and statistics to connect math andcurrent events which makes it relevant to students. For example, one lesson idea begins with numericaldata about gun injuries; students then convert these statistics to visual displays and create a postercampaign related to the dangers of guns in the home. Hand-outs are included, as well as, links to relatedTimes articles. That is authentic teaching; this information will really resonant with students.

The Stock Market Gamehttp://www.stockmarketgame.org
http://www.mathvids.com/http://www.mathvids.com/http://www.mathvids.com/http://www.mathvids.com/http://www.mathvids.com/http://www.mathvids.com/http://www.nmsa.org/http://www.aaamath.com/http://www.ixl.com/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.nmsa.org/http://www.aaamath.com/http://www.ixl.com/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/


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Now more than ever, schools are seeking ways to meet higher academic standards while access torevenue streams is decidedly more difficult. To combat these challenges, educators must be moreinnovative in their use of educational tools which inspire and motivate student achievement and developauthentic learning experiences to promote life-long learning. The Stock Market meets these goals byenlivening core academic subjects, such as Math and Social Studies. This resource can be tailored andutilized in grades 4- Higher Education. I recall participating in this activity during high school and it was

one the most memorable experiences. I am a testament to the power that this simulation can have onstudent learning and achievement.
http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/http://www.stockmarketgame.org/

middle school mathematics resources

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