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| Product FAQ | |
Math Insight is a set of computer-based problem-solving activities that typically take between one and three 45-minute class periods to complete. Through video or graphics, middle-grades students are presented with short situations in which teenage characters encounter realistic mathematics problems. Continuing to use the computer software, the students then gather additional information about the problems, generate solutions with Math Insight's computer-based tools, and communicate their solutions in writing. There are currently 18 Math Insight activities, and that number will increase. The mathematics in Math Insight is carefully tied to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) standards for grades 5-8 and focuses on number sense, algebraic thinking, data analysis, probability, and geometry. In addition to focusing on these content strands, Math Insight emphasizes problem solving by providing a structured environment that supports a general mathematical problem-solving process, roughly along lines outlined by George Pólya. Math Insight also requires students to communicate and reason about mathematics. The computer-based tools in Math Insight include a spreadsheet, data table, scatterplot, histogram, function grapher, spinner, and dynamic geometric sketches. Many of the tools can interact (e.g., the data table can be used to modify geometric sketches whose dimensions correspond to numbers in the table). The tools can also be used alone, without opening a Math Insight problem. |
