Definitions and meaning for future teachers in spatial measurement: Length, area, and volume
Session Format
Presentation Session (45 minutes)
Target Audience
Primary Education
Location
Session 1 (PARB 227)
Abstract for the conference program
U.S. students have consistently demonstrated poor performance in spatial reasoning in standardized testing (e.g., National Assessment of Educational Progress). One possible reason is students' lack of conceptual understanding of measurement concepts (length, area, volume, capacity). This session will engage participants in activities that compare and contrast different ways to define meanings of measurement concepts. We share card sorts that use several definitions of each concept from mathematics textbooks written for future elementary teachers (e.g., Beckmann, 2012; Sowder, Sowder, & Nickerson, 2010) and from elementary mathematics curricula (e.g., Saxon Math, Everyday Math, Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley). Participants will gain a deeper understanding of these concepts and reflect on how various definitions may affect future elementary teachers' and elementary students’ understanding of measurement concepts.
Proposal Track
T1: Teaching and Learning in the STEM Field
Start Date
3-22-2019 9:30 AM
End Date
3-22-2019 10:15 AM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Stehr, Eryn M. and He, Jia, "Definitions and meaning for future teachers in spatial measurement: Length, area, and volume" (2019). Interdisciplinary STEM Teaching & Learning Conference (2012-2019). 8.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/stem/2019/2019/8
Definitions and meaning for future teachers in spatial measurement: Length, area, and volume
Session 1 (PARB 227)
U.S. students have consistently demonstrated poor performance in spatial reasoning in standardized testing (e.g., National Assessment of Educational Progress). One possible reason is students' lack of conceptual understanding of measurement concepts (length, area, volume, capacity). This session will engage participants in activities that compare and contrast different ways to define meanings of measurement concepts. We share card sorts that use several definitions of each concept from mathematics textbooks written for future elementary teachers (e.g., Beckmann, 2012; Sowder, Sowder, & Nickerson, 2010) and from elementary mathematics curricula (e.g., Saxon Math, Everyday Math, Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley). Participants will gain a deeper understanding of these concepts and reflect on how various definitions may affect future elementary teachers' and elementary students’ understanding of measurement concepts.
