MATH TOOLS NEWSLETTER - MAY 5, 2007 - No. 51 As you browse the catalog, please take a moment to rate a resource, comment on it, review it -- or start a new discussion! ***FEATURED TOOL Great Stella Robert Webb http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/30630/ Great Stella allows you to view 3D polyhedra. Hundreds provided (Platonic, Archimedean, Kepler-Poinsot & all other uniform polyhedra, Johnson Solids, Stewart toroids, compounds, geodesics, etc.). Rotate in 3D, print nets to build your own paper polyhedron models. Put photos on faces. Create new polyhedra: stellation, faceting, zonohedra, dual-morphing, augmentation. Export to 3D formats. See it all in true 3D if you have red-blue glasses. Limited demo version is free. See also the more advanced Stella4D, and the basic version Small Stella. ***FEATURED TOOL Furbles Alec McEachran http://mathforum.org/mathtools/tool/31036/ Furbles are fun and engaging creatures for use on interactive whiteboards with students of all ages. They were originally designed for statistics, probability and logic to teach students about charts and diagrams. Their flexible structure also allows teachers to use them for number and geometry. There is a commercial version that requires payment to use, but also a freely available and functional demo version. ***FEATURED LESSON PLAN Rational Number Project Cramer, K., Behr, M., Post, T., Lesh, R. http://mathforum.org/mathtools/lesson/30995/ The Rational Number Project (RNP) is a cooperative research and development project funded by the National Science Foundation. Project personnel have been investigating children's learning of fractions, ratios, decimals and proportionality since 1979. This book of fraction lessons is the product of several years of working with children in classrooms, and organizes instruction so students develop a deep, conceptual understanding for fractions. ***FEATURED SUPPORT MATERIAL Graph Paper/Dot Paper/Lined Paper/Polar Plotting Incomtech http://mathforum.org/mathtools/support/30994/ This website provides free, PDF-format graph paper, dot paper, lined paper, and polar graph paper. ***FEATURED DISCUSSION Does step size really equal speed? http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html?&do=m&thread=___disc_13171_g-24 KT8 explains, "There is an assumption being made in this simulation that I don't agree with." ***FEATURED DISCUSSION Algebra I Teaching http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html?&do=m&thread=_____wh-11 jlbmagic states, "I'm going to be teaching Algebra 1 for the first time next year. I'm confident that I can do it, since I have a conceptual frame of mind in teaching math. I can look at what the text presents and develop more conceptually based lessons, but if anyone knows of good sources, please share them with me." ***FEATURED DISCUSSION Graphing Calculators http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html?&do=r&msg=31156 PamelaSkelly asks, "Are graphing calculators effective teaching tools?" CHECK OUT THE MATH TOOLS SITE: Math Tools http://mathforum.org/mathtools/ Register http://mathforum.org/mathtools/register.html Discussions http://mathforum.org/mathtools/discuss.html Research Area http://mathforum.org/mathtools/research/ Developers Area http://mathforum.org/mathtools/developers/ Newsletter Archive http://mathforum.org/mathtools/newsletter/ \`. .--------------.___________) \ |//////////////|___________[ ] `--------------' ) ( '-' The Math Forum @ Drexel -- 5 May 2007