Mathematics Lessons that are Fun! Fun! Fun!
http://math.rice.edu/~lanius/Lessons/index.html
This is a collection of over 20 fun and challenging math activities created by Cynthia Lanius, the executive director of the Center for Excellence and Equity in Education at Rice University. The activities range in level from grade school to adult. Many of these lessons are designed to be used in the classroom or at home with a teacher or parent leading the way. However, students can perform these activities on their own as well. Graphing, calendar-related algebra, money making problems, and fractions are just some of the exciting lessons on the site. [CL]
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Telstra Classroom
http://www.telstra.com.au/classroom/index.htm
The Telstra Classroom is a very large and informative site about telecommunications and is operated by an Australian company of the same name. There are five "kits" that explore many different aspects of telecommunications, its history, the current technology, and what the future may hold. The kits are suitable for ages nine to adult, and each one has several sub-sections. Topics include digital transmission, communication by light beam, telephone exchanges, and long distance and interactive communication. The stories span times from the invention of Morse Code to the information superhighway and beyond. [CL]
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Project Interactivate
http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/index.html
Project Interactivate has student and teacher resources for nearly every topic in middle school mathematics. The goals of the project "are the creation, collection, evaluation, and dissemination of java-based courseware for middle school mathematics explorations." There are over 50 java activities for students, separated into concepts of numbers and operations, geometry and measurement, functions and algebra, and probability and data analysis. The teacher section has detailed lesson plans, interactive portions of published text books, and standards and guidelines set forth by three national education organizations. [CL]
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The MathServ Calculus Toolkit
http://mss.math.vanderbilt.edu/~pscrooke/toolkit.shtml
The MathServ Calculus Toolkit is a good site for college or high school calculus students to check their work or graph functions. The toolkit is powered by Mathematica, a popular software package that can perform numerical or symbolical computations. There are fifteen functions from which to choose, including polynomial operations, derivatives, integrals, and summations. Even though the interface is quite easy to understand and the required fields are well defined, a brief introduction to using the toolkit is available to help inexperienced users. The site is operated by the math department at Vanderbilt University. [CL]
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Mudd Math Fun Facts
http://www.math.hmc.edu/funfacts/
Mudd Math Fun Facts is a site created by Francis Su, an assistant mathematics professor at Harvey Mudd College. Fun Facts are made to pique student's curiosity by showing them aspects of mathematics that are not usually taught in the classroom. There are currently over 150 items, and the list is still growing. The facts range in topic from algebra and geometry to probability and calculus, with varying levels of difficulty. Enthusiasts are invited to submit their own facts to share with the world. The site is very popular and has received numerous Web awards. [CL]
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Flashcards for Kids
http://www.edu4kids.com/math/
Flashcards for Kids is a great place for elementary students to hone their basic math skills and become faster at arithmetic. The flashcards can be customized by the type of math, complexity, number size, and number of problems to be done per session. An optional timer allows students to measure their improvement. Besides simply entering the answer to an equation, the flashcards system also allows users to answer with an alternate equation to increase the challenge. In addition to flashcards, the main Edu4Kids site also has four other math activities to try, and there are no advertisements or banners. Due to funding issues though, the site could close as early as April 2002. [CL]
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Technology Lessons
http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~coalitn/sciedoutreach/funexperiments/agesubject/technology.html
Technology Lessons is part of a University of Michigan Web site operated by Reach Out! and the Southeastern Michigan Math-Science Learning Coalition. There are many lessons that have been divided into appropriate age levels, ranging from early elementary school to high school. Each lesson begins by discussing insights and connections into the subject and is followed by a main activity with suggestions for extending the concept further. Topics covered on the site include Electric Cars, Making a Steam Powered "Rocket Boat," and How TV Works, to name just a few. The lessons are all interesting and educational, and can be used in or out of the classroom. [CL]
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Patterns in Mathematics
http://www.learner.org/teacherslab/math/patterns/
Patterns in Mathematics is a site useful for both teachers and students. It is part of a project sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Annenberg Foundation. There are three main sections -- logic patterns, number patterns, and word patterns. Each section starts with a brief description, followed by two activities that demonstrate the necessary principles. Each lesson is well illustrated, and students can follow the guided steps through an interactive interface. Alternatively, teachers can introduce the material as a fun activity for the whole class. These lessons should help students quickly recognize and identify patterns. [CL]
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