Fermi Questions

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 164-167
Author(s):  
Germaine L. Taggart ◽  
Paul E. Adams ◽  
Ervin Eltze ◽  
John Heinrichs ◽  
James Hohman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Real World ◽  
Real Life ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Real ◽  
Life Problems

How middle school students view mathematics is a function of what they learn and how they learn it. Evidence from actual classrooms shows that a serious disconnection sometimes occurs between what students think mathematics can deliver and the real world (Burrill 1997). Students must have the opportunity to discover multiple ways to solve real-life problems through problem solving, using estimation and conjecture, and developing critical communication skills in the classroom.

The Arcs of Archaeology

1996 ◽  
Vol 1 (9) ◽  
pp. 688-693
Author(s):  
Bonnie S. Spence
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Real World ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Real ◽  
The Past ◽  
Hands On ◽  
New Ideas

For the past several years, i have sought out opportunities outside mathematics for personal enrichment and enjoyment. These experiences have caused me to become more aware of the connections between mathematics and other areas. As a result, I have begun developing lessons to show my students how mathematics is used in the real world. One summer I joined another teacher and twelve middle school students and decided to brave the eighteen-hour drive from Oklahoma to the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Co1tez, Colorado. The mathematical lesson discussed in this article emerged from one week of learning about the Anasazi culture and experiencing hands-on archaeology. Throughout the years, this lesson has been revised and expanded as both students and experience have given me new ideas.

Connecting Measurement and Architecture: Building an Inflatable

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-149
Author(s):  
Elizabeth D. Gray ◽  
Denise Tullier-Holly
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Real World ◽  
School Mathematics ◽  
Classroom Experiences ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Real ◽  
Mathematical Connections ◽  
Principles And Standards

Middle school students need to see connections between mathematics and the real world. However, they often learn mathematics as a set of distinct topics or separate strands, because a majority of the available textbooks tends to present it that way, and teachers tend to follow the textbooks. According to Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM 2000), our students should be made aware of mathematical connections explicitly so that the manner in which topics are connected is obvious. McClain (1996) suggests that if teachers offer classroom experiences in which students can see connections, then “the vibrant discipline of mathematics actively engages students in their own learning” (p. 682).

Integrating Mathematics and Social Issues

2007 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 270-276
Author(s):  
Gregory K. Harrell
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Mathematics Teachers ◽  
Real World ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Real ◽  
Community Issues ◽  
Principles And Standards

The Connections Standard in grades 6–8 in Principles and Standards for School Mathematics recommends that middle school students “recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics” (NCTM 2000, p. 274). This goal can be reached by providing students with rich problem contexts that involve connections to the real world (NCTM 2000). To find such contexts, mathematics teachers can look to the local community, because our culture influences the mathematics we do and influences the issues that are important to us. If teachers present students with interdisciplinary experiences within the context of local community issues, students will understand the usefulness of mathematics and it will help them develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become active participants in their communities (Zaslavsky 1996).

Spotlight on the Principles/Standards: Measurement in the Middle Grades

2001 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 154-156
Author(s):  
Robert Berry ◽  
Joyce Wiggins
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Middle School Students ◽  
Real World ◽  
Middle Grades ◽  
Angle Measurement ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Real

People use measurement ideas everyday because the ideas arise out of the need to compare attributes of the real world and because humans are naturally inclined to make comparisons. Comparison is the basis for measurement. We make simple comparisons, such as that “the width of the desk is about an arms length,” and complex comparisons expressed in terms of precise numerical measurements. Although measurement encompasses such topics as time, temperature, length, perimeter, and volume, this article specifically focuses on how middle school students learn about angle measurement.

scholarly journals From Literacy to Information Literacy: Reading for Understanding in the Real World

2021 ◽  
pp. 254-267
Author(s):  
John Royce
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Real World ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Good Readers ◽  
The Real ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Complicated Process ◽  
Process Failure ◽  
Vital Component

Good readers evaluate as they go along, open to triggers and alarms which warn that something is not quite right, or that something has not been understood. Evaluation is a vital component of information literacy, a keystone for reading with understanding. It is also a complex, complicated process. Failure to evaluate well may prove expensive. The nature and amount of information on the Internet make evaluation skills ever more necessary. Looking at research studies in reading and in evaluation, real-life problems are suggested for teaching, modelling and discussion, to bring greater awareness to good, and to less good, readers.

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