Motivate Kids to Get in the Game of Math! Math Packs will motivate students to get into the game of math! Students will have so much fun playing the games that they'll forget they're learning! These sets of math games, developed at TERC, help kids boost creative problem-solving skills as they practice key foundational math skills.The packs can be used in class, at home, as a library resource, and in after-school programs. Each pack contains everything needed to play three or four related games, including directions, score sheets, and a durable set of materials.

Part of a K-5 mathematics curriculum, with curriculum units for classroom use and resources for teachers; the Investigations curriculum was developed at TERC, formerly Technical Education Research Centers.

"When will I ever use this stuff?" Students discover the answer to this question as they find solution paths to interesting scenarios such as "What size popcorn tub is best to purchase at a movie theater?" Problem solving, logic, geometry, probability, and communication are among the skills addressed.

"It may be that I have stumbled upon an adequate description of life itself." These modest yet profound words trumpet an imminent paradigm shift in scientific, economic, and technological thinking. In the tradition of Schrödinger's classic What Is Life?, Kauffman's Investigations is a tour-de-force exploration of the very essence of life itself, with conclusions that radically undermine the scientific approaches on which modern science rests--the approaches of Newton, Boltzman, Bohr, and Einstein. Building on his pivotal ideas about order and evolution in complex life systems, Kauffman finds that classical science does not take into account that physical systems--such as people in a biosphere--effect their dynamic environments in addition to being affected by them. These systems act on their own behalf as autonomous agents, but what defines them as such? In other words, what is life? Kauffman supplies a novel answer that goes beyond traditional scientific thinking by defining and explaining autonomous agents and work in the contexts of thermodynamics and of information theory. Much of Investigations unpacks the progressively surprising implications of his definition. Significantly, he sets the stages for a technological revolution in the coming decades. Scientists and engineers may soon seek to create autonomous agents--both organic and mechanical--that can not only construct things and work, but also reproduce themselves! Kauffman also lays out a foundation for a new concept of organization, and explores the requirements for the emergence of a general biology that will transcend terrestrial biology to seek laws governing biospheres anywhere in the cosmos. Moreover, he presents four candidate laws to explain how autonomous agents co-create their biosphere and the startling idea of a "co-creating" cosmos. A showcase of Kauffman's most fundamental and significant ideas, Investigations presents a new way of thinking about the fundamentals of general biology that will change the way we understand life itself--on this planet and anywhere else in the cosmos.

"Presents practices and routines designed to support and nourish teachers as they prepare and present a meaningful year of mathematics instruction for fifth-grade mathematicians. Offers activities, lessons, and narration that can be easily adapted or adjusted to fit the particular needs of the students or the requirements of a prescribed curriculum"--

Now it's easy to locate the materials you need to implement the new NCTM math standards. Organized by such math topics as problem solving, estimation, number sense and numeration, and geometry and spatial relationships, this book shows users where to find manipulatives and materials, such as attribute blocks, pattern blocks, clocks, scales, multilink cubes and prisms, calculators, and sorting toys. It also lists specialized math books, computer software, and a host of other learning materials (e.g., activity cards, puzzles, posters, games, reproducibles). The author briefly describes each product, cites grade level when given, and explains possible applications. Products of exceptional quality and value are highlighted, and the addresses of publishers and suppliers are given. A real time-saver! Grades K-4.