What suggestion can you offer for enhancing a specific lesson of a Glencoe mathematics text? Ideas may include using concrete objects to illustrate concepts, working with cooperative groups, incorporating ongoing assessment, or any other strategy that you have used successfully in your classroom.

Example: This activity was written by a teacher using the 2001 edition of Glencoe Mathematics: Applications and Connections, Course 2, Lesson 6-1, page 228. The lesson is entitled "Solving Addition and Subtraction Equations."

"To reinforce the Addition and Subtraction Properties of Equality, I use the example of a teeter-totter. You and a friend are perfectly balanced on a teeter-tooter. What happens if your friend jumps off? Or what happens if someone else jumps on with your friend?"

Lesson 1-2: Louise C., Teacher
Penns Grove, NJ
"My students use blank transparencies and overhead pens to write out solutions to problems. Then we display the solutions with the overhead projector to evaluate the problem-solving approach. It is a great way to show that there are often several ways to solve a given problem."

Lesson 1-7: Jan W., Teacher
Clayton, WI
"For practicing and reviewing for tests, I use small grease boards and markers. We review in a game format and students hold up their answers on the boards. They receive 1 point for each correct answer. Students bring in old tube socks to use as erasers."

Lesson 2-3: Dora B., Teacher
Kennesaw, GA
"I fill a glass jar with color candies and have students estimate the total number of candies and how many are each color. We count the candy by placing them in cups of 10 for each color. We make a pictograph of the cups organized by color, labeling the axes and giving the graph a title."

Lesson 2-7: Verlene D., Teacher
Westlake, OH
"We collect age information from the class by routing a chart in which students fill in their name, age in years and months, age in months, and birthday. Then students use the data in various ways determining the most appropriate statistical measures and methods for displaying the data."

Lesson 3-1: Patricia M., Teacher
Salem, NH
"We have fun using a Koosh ball to represent a decimal point and acting out decimal numbers as I or another student read them out."

Lesson 3-4: Joy D., Teacher
Annapolis, MD
"To practice rounding decimals, we create a human number line. Some students represent increments on the number line and others, numbers to be rounded. We discuss how each number is to be rounded and then the "rounded" student stands behind the appropriate person on the number line."

Lesson 4-8: Judith C., Teacher
Colorado Springs, CO
"To practice students' familiarity with the metric system, I have them work in groups and gather objects that they think will weigh a certain amount, such as 40 grams. You can do the same with length or units of capacity."

Lesson 4-9: Michelle H., Teacher
Newnan, GA
"I have students copy the chart for converting within the metric system and show them how to move from what they know (are given) to what they need to know. The number of spaces moved left or right in the chart tells the students how many spaces to move the decimal point to the left or right."

Lesson 5-3: Frances G., Teacher
Waycross, GA
"I assign a color to each of the first eight prime numbers. Students make up factor trees to find the prime factorization of a number. When they finish each tree, they circle each prime number with its appropriate color. They can then spot the factors that numbers have in common to find the GCF."

Lesson 6-3: Doris J., Teacher
Lawrenceville, GA
"I have students begin writing their addition and subtraction problems vertically in Lesson 6-3. This makes finding common denominators easier."

Lesson 7-4: Marilyn M., Teacher
Bloomingdale, NJ
"Each group of students gets a circle, a piece of string, a ruler, and a calculator. They use the string to find a length representing the circumference. They measure the string and the diameter of the circle in both metric and customary units. We calculate the ratio of circumference to diameter to estimate pi."

Lesson 7-5: Trudy B., Teacher
Douglasville, GA
"I like to use geoboards when teaching multiplication and division of fractions. Use different colors of rubber bands to show the fractional parts and the whole. Visual displays, like the geoboard, help students with understanding and picturing fractions."

Lesson 8-4: Mary S., Teacher
Norcross, GA
"I have groups of students count, by color, the number of M&Ms in a bag. They write fractions for each color and then change those fractions to percents. We apply the percents to making circle graphs and display the results around the room. It's a big and fun project."

Lesson 8-4: Frank M., Teacher
Norwalk, OH
"Students take one panel of their favorite color comic strip. Using a pencil and ruler, they divide it into 1/2 inch boxes both horizontally and vertically. After dividing the small picture into 1/4 inch boxes, they must then transfer this picture onto 1 inch graph paper by drawing what is in the corresponding boxes of the smaller picture. After transferring onto the larger paper, the students must then color the comic strip to look exactly like the original. They have now created a scale drawing that is larger than the original picture."

Lesson 9-5: Deanna G., Teacher
Northvale, NJ
"I have my students construct an art project using line symmetry. I have had them use both the computer and manual drawing techniques. This helps them to see and appreciate mathematics in artwork and other designs."

Lesson 10-4: Kathy B., Teacher
Dover, NH
"In the spring, students construct three-dimensional tetrahedron kites using straws, string, and tissue paper. Then we go outside and attempt to fly the kites."

Lesson 13-1: Deana B., Teacher
Rochester, IL
"I have students play several games of Paper-Rock-Scissors and record the outcome of each round. I prepare a worksheet asking questions about the probability of the various outcomes during the game. Then they calculate the statistical measure for this data."

Lesson 13-5: Deana B., Teacher
Rochester, IL
"I have students interview adults and write a report about how they use math in their job or in everyday life. They are encouraged to use their creativity in preparing their report. They also use computers to prepare their reports."