Teacher's Guide Introduction

Home


		INTRODUCTION .
	Decimal Squares is a complete program of manipulatives activities games performance objectives worksheets tests and interactive computer games for teaching decimals and percents. Decimal Squares uses a conceptual approach throughout as supported by the 1989 and 2000 Standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.


		.
	Decimal Squares activities develop gradually from concrete to abstract and provide intuitive understanding of relations and operations with decimals. The understanding students develop through their use of Decimal Squares helps them discover decimal rules and that decimals can be a "sense-making experience". Students can develop a deep understanding of rational numbers through experiences with a variety of models such as fraction strips number lines x10 grids area models and objects. These models offer students concrete representations of abstract ideas and support students' meaningful use of representations and their flexible movement among them to solve problems.** Decimal Squares Step By Step Teacher's Guide has seven sections with the topics of Basic Concepts Equality Inequality Addition Subtraction Multiplication and Division. The first step (lesson) of each section is called Readiness and develops one or more concepts for the section before the introduction of decimal symbols and terminology. Each step is contained on two facing pages with objectives activities lists of materials and references to related games worksheets and performance tests. New to this edition are activities with Blank Decimal Squares Problem Solving Writing About Decimals and Quotations with Connections to Standards 2000 each of which are included in many of the lessons. Also new to this edition are interactive Decimal Squares Games which can be accessed on decimalsquares.com. Brief descriptions of these games are included in this guide in the appropriate lessons. Another important feature of the teacher's guide is Relating Decimals and Fractions in Appendix I. Standards 2000 stresses the importance of presenting fractions and decimals as equivalent ways of representing numbers. Relating Decimals and Fractions has over 20 activities that are correlated to appropriate lessons. _________________________________________ Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics (Reston VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics p. 59. *Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. (Reston VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics p. 215-216.