This book is written for parents and other interested parties so that they can understand the great debate taking place in many states in this country about how to teach basic math. The debate centers around the standards written by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), which call for a radically different approach to mathematics education. Because the issues are so heated between the NCTM-oriented curricula and traditional curricula (the curricula that NCTM-oriented replaced), the term Math Wars was coined to describe them. Parents are concerned about their children's math learning. Teachers are concerned about math teaching. When parents see what children are bringing home under the new curriculum, it is clear that their children are not working on the same mathematics that parents remember from the time when they were in school. But, the problem goes beyond grades K-12. Post-secondary mathematics courses are the fear of many students. The standards created by the NCTM do not necessarily prepare students for success, either on SATs or in college. Besides lack of knowledge about mathematics education, many parents have an additional problem in that they feel they lack knowledge in mathematics itself. This is very intimidating; thus it is difficult for parents to do anything about the confusing state of mathematics education. This book provides some answers.

Mathematics has for centuries been stimulated, financed and credited by military purposes. Some mathematical thoughts and mathematical technology have also been vital in war. During World War II mathematical work by the Anti-Hitler coalition was part of an aspiration to serve humanity and not help destroy it. At present, it is not an easy task to view the bellicose potentials of mathematics in a proper perspective. The book presents historical evidence and recent changes in the interaction between mathematics and the military. It discusses the new mathematically enhanced development of military technology which seems to have changed the very character of modern warfare.

Make learning an intergalactic adventure!

A New York Times–bestselling author looks at mathematics education in America—when it’s worthwhile, and when it’s not. Why do we inflict a full menu of mathematics—algebra, geometry, trigonometry, even calculus—on all young Americans, regardless of their interests or aptitudes? While Andrew Hacker has been a professor of mathematics himself, and extols the glories of the subject, he also questions some widely held assumptions in this thought-provoking and practical-minded book. Does advanced math really broaden our minds? Is mastery of azimuths and asymptotes needed for success in most jobs? Should the entire Common Core syllabus be required of every student? Hacker worries that our nation’s current frenzied emphasis on STEM is diverting attention from other pursuits and even subverting the spirit of the country. Here, he shows how mandating math for everyone prevents other talents from being developed and acts as an irrational barrier to graduation and careers. He proposes alternatives, including teaching facility with figures, quantitative reasoning, and understanding statistics. Expanding upon the author’s viral New York Times op-ed, The Math Myth is sure to spark a heated and needed national conversation—not just about mathematics but about the kind of people and society we want to be. “Hacker’s accessible arguments offer plenty to think about and should serve as a clarion call to students, parents, and educators who decry the one-size-fits-all approach to schooling.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Washington State is about to enter a new phase of the "math wars." Since the late 1980s, the debate over how best to teach mathematics to schoolchildren has raged worldwide among educators, politicians, and parents. The stakes are high. To operate effectively in a global, twenty-first-century economy and polity, the United states must provide an education in mathematics that is both excellent and equitable. In this volume, four scholars at the Washington School Research Center (WSRC) at Seattle Pacific University present original research drawn from statistical studies of state educational data and from thousands of classroom observations carried out by The BERC Group. They assess the current state of math education and review its history and development. The authors also provide a dispassionate review of the extensive international, national, and state literature. The in-depth observational research in Winning the Math Wars confirms that the real issue is neither the approach to teaching--traditional or reform--nor the type of curriculum. If America's goal of educational equity and excellence is to be achieved, then math teachers everywhere must be fully supported in developing the specific skills that are ideal for educating all students. The authors discussion focus on four principles for improving math teaching and learning: fidelity to reform efforts by all involved; an emphasis on instruction and instructional tools; the critical nature of mathematical knowledge; and the need for transformational change. Winning the Math Wars is an important book for policy makers, school leaders, practitioners of mathematics education, parents, and anyone who wants to make sense of the "math wars."

A Dingo Ate My Math Book presents ingenious, unusual, and beautiful nuggets of mathematics with a distinctly Australian flavor. It focuses, for example, on Australians' love of sports and gambling, and on Melbourne's iconic, mathematically inspired architecture. Written in a playful and humorous style, the book offers mathematical entertainment as well as a glimpse of Australian culture for the mathematically curious of all ages. This collection of engaging stories was extracted from the Maths Masters column that ran from 2007 to 2014 in Australia's Age newspaper. The maths masters in question are Burkard Polster and Marty Ross, two (immigrant) Aussie mathematicians, who each week would write about math in the news, providing a new look at old favorites, mathematical history, quirks of school mathematics—whatever took their fancy. All articles were written for a very general audience, with the intention of being as inviting as possible and assuming a minimum of mathematical background.

Learn well, you will. Show the Jawas which decimals are greater. Multiply fractions to find out how many coins Han Solo has. Play tic-tac-toe with the Jedi to practice rounding skills. Make learning an intergalactic adventure! From the creators of BRAIN QUEST and from the iconic world of Star Wars, 4thGrade Math is 96 full-filled pages of curriculum-based exercises and activities. It reinforces key math skills, including multiplying large numbers, adding and subtracting fractions, using a protractor, geometry, and more. All content aligns with national Common Core State Standards Vetted by the award-winning teachers on the Brain Quest Advisory Board Illustrated throughout with hundreds of Star Wars characters, creatures, planets, starships, and more The Force is strong with Star Wars Workbooks!