V. TEACHING IDEAS, LESSONS AND CURRICULUM MATERIALS
Mathematics
Recommended:
*** Education planet: math
Education Planet’s broad ranging website includes this page linking to a number of maths sites, all rated for content and listed by grade. From ask-an-expert sites to interactive problem-solving, there are plenty of valuable resources here for both teachers and students.
*** ENC: lesson plans and activities
ENC has brought together an array of lesson plans and classroom resources for teachers, listed by topic. As well as curriculum subjects, there are also links to sites discussing maths in history and offering advice for students interested in a career in a maths-related field (subscription fee).
*** MEGA Mathematics
These highly engaging activities help develop students’ analytical thinking skills by looking at such mathematical topics as infinity and Set Theory, mathematical truth, rules of logic and metacognition. Teacher guidelines and notes included.
Other Useful Sites:
Learn Online
There are 15 online games for elementary mathematics students here, offering interactive and fun introductions to key concepts such as counting, halves, chance and patterns. The page also provides additional lesson plans for each game.
Consumer Literacy for High School Students
This innovative site is aimed at familiarizing young adults with the world of credit and money management. Topics include credit cards, maintaining a car, consumer rights and renting and living on a budget, and there are separate sections for teachers (with comprehensive lesson plans), students and parents.
Cyberchase
PBS has created an attractive maths site for 8-11 year olds. There is a daily animated television series, along with weekly and monthly features, encouraging kids to participate in online polls and communicate with each other. It also has extensive lesson plans for teachers and parents.
Education World
This is a list of maths lesson plans put together by Education World. It covers an extensive range of topics and grade levels, and links to other sites, including resource databases and website reviews.
Interactivate: Mathematics and Science online resources
Developed by the Shodor Education Foundation, this website contains a collection of Java-based courseware (educational interactive activities and lesson plans) for teaching and learning mathematics and science.
Math on the Web
Design Science develops commercial educational software. This article looks at two different strategies for putting maths online, and recommends appropriate software applications.
Using technology and real world connections to teach secondary mathematics concepts
Mathematics teachers are often faced with the problem of how to apply school curricula to real world situations. This article describes some activities that use technological tools to help students develop conceptual understanding through the use of real world data.