The National Council of
Teacher of Mathematics has recommended Standards related to
geometry, The
set of standards for Geometry and Spatial Sense, Standard 2--in Florida,
is very
important not only for its
geometric importance, but also important for helping students
develop dynamic imagery, a very important concept underlying much of
mathematics learning , as well as learning in general. Dynamic imagery
development includes looking back at actions already done and
looking forward to (anticipating or predicting) actions to be done.
Also transformations (flipping, turning, sliding, scaling, taking apart,
and
putting back together) are very important for the imagery
development
The United States and Florida, in particular, performed less well than we
prefer
on international assessments in the area of Geometry (see the following
reports on the Third International Mathematics and Science
Study (TIMSS),
In mathematics, U.S. eighth graders score below the
international average of the 41 TIMSS
countries. ... In mathematics, our eighth-grade
students' standing is at about the international average in
Algebra; Fractions; and Data Representation, Analysis, and
Probability. We do less well in
Geometry; Measurement; and Proportionality. Pursuing
Excellence: Executive Summary
Also see Pursuing
Excellence and TIMSS: Third International
Mathematics and Science Study). In addtion, the
National
Assessment
of Educational Progress monitors student achievement in a number of
areas, including Geometry and Spatial Sense. They have recently released
the NAEP
1996
Mathematics Report Card for the Nation and the States. The Florida Report
Card also gives specific state
level
data. (Also
see Mathematics
Framework for the 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress),
and Recommendations
for the 1996 NAEP Mathematics Assessment. Perhaps the
low scores reflect a need for increased emphasis upon this standard.
| Overview | The
Standards | Importance | Major
Concepts | Sample Lessons | Web Links | Commerical
Software |
Geometry and
Spatial Sense: Importance