Big Ideas for Growing Mathematicians

Introducing sophisticated mathematical ideas like fractals and infinity, these hands-on activity books present concepts to children using interactive and comprehensible methods. With intriguing projects that cover a wide range of math content and skills, these are ideal resources for elementary school mathematics enrichment programs, regular classroom instruction, and home-school programs. Reproducible activity sheets lead students through a process of engaged inquiry with plenty of helpful tips along the way. A list of useful terms specific to each activity encourages teachers and parents to introduce students to the vocabulary of math. This second Big Ideas book covers more advanced concepts, with projects including “One in a Million,” where children use grains of rice to model the probability of astronomical odds; “Triangular Tessellations,” in which students investigate the geometry and variations created by repeating patterns; and “Fractions of Salaries,” where kids use a real-world scenario to multiply and divide fractions. 

Ann Kajander is the founder of the Kindermath Enrichment Project and a mathematics professor at Lakehead University. She lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario.