Jim Elander

Tgif Math Jim Elander

THINKERS are made, not born, and scores on entrance exams are improved by reviewing the information you may have forgotten! There is an old adage that students need to understand: Mathematics is not a spectator sport! What does that mean? An important part of becoming a CRITICAL THINKER, or a valid DECISION MAKER, besides asking questions, is to recognize words that need defining, and that all decisions are based on definitions, assumptions, and previous accepted rules or laws. All people are eager to be THINKERS, but that ability is not a gift, it is learned, practiced and even forgotten. These activities will review some of the types and methods first encountered in geometry and some problems that are similar to the ones on the SAT, ACT and other entrance exams. In the March 2010 issue of School Science and Mathematics, it was pointed out the two major weaknesses in college freshmen are in geometry and Critical Thinking, hence these 98 activities are involving direct and indirect thinking skills, forms of implications and other types all designed to convert those difficult special days into unique learning fun days. These activities are designed for students (working in small groups) to create the learning situations by doing them with the teacher guidance assisting them to the conclusions. Many of my former students commented that what they enjoyed and learned from the classes, more than anything else, was activities like these, hence, my reason to share some of these with other teachers.