The National Council ofTeachers of Mathematics's Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (1989) urges the implementation of technology in all areas of mathematics learning. In a high school algebra class, the graphing calculator can be a powerful aid in developing mathematical understandings. Equations involving absolute value are rich ground for graphical exploration. Students can apply their knowledge of graphs of lines and solution sets of simultaneous linear equations to enhance their conceptual understandings of these topics.
“CAN THERE BE MONSTER INSECTS?” “Are 'human' giants of fables and fiction possible?” “Why do I sink into fresh snow and a rabbit does not?” “Why are my footprints in wet sand deeper than those of a seagull?” Middle school students can readily investigate these questions when mathematics and science are integrated. This article will focus on the last two questions, which provide rich links among animal characteristics, area of footprints, and the use of ratios in proportional reasoning.
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