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Drive-Through Deceit: Related Web Sites

ACTIVITY A

Algebra

Absurd Math: Pre-Algebra from Another Dimension
Four episodes of interactive mathematical problem solving ask kids to rely on their pre-algebra skills to negotiate tricky environments full of mystery and doom at this award-winning site. In Episode 1, a powerful being has been captured by a cult of pollution makers and you must help save this creature and the mathematical knowledge it holds. And that's just the beginning.

Algebra.help
This site features collections of lessons, calculators, and interactive worksheets for students and teachers, offering "plain English" explanations of the basics of this branch of math.

Ask Dr. Math Archives - Middle School
A compendium of previous answers to teachers' and students' questions about algebra, this site, sponsored by Drexel University, offers sage advice-and plenty of it!

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Algebra Tiles
This manipulative helps users visualize multiplying and factoring algebraic expressions.

Patterns

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Towers of Hanoi
An oldie but goodie, the Towers of Hanoi allow users to work with different sets of disks to complete a specific pattern on three pegs. How many moves does it take you to replicate the tower on another peg?

PBS's Mathline - Fashion Design: Patterns and Weaving
This lesson plan guides teachers and students in grades K -12 through an exploration of the ways in which designers use mathematics to program a weaving machine to create a certain pattern. Site visitors can uncover the mathematical solution by suing the formula for quadratic equations.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Pattern Blocks
The blocks and shapes in this activity can be used for a host of activities, including creating patterns and exploring similarities among shapes.

Multiple scales

NCTM's Figure This! - Is the Statue of Liberty's Nose Too Long?
This exploration of scale allows students to explore this and other questions related to scale. Supporting information helps kids unlock the answer for themselves.

Math from the Toy Store
This article gives middle school math teachers a look at using scaled replicas to teach ratio and proportion.

The Golden Ratio
Fibonacci sequences and the Golden Mean are just a few of the matters of scale explored in this ThinkQuest web site created by students for students. There is a wide gamut of materials here-from an exploration of the Golden Ratio in science and the environment to an online version of the ancient Chinese game Tziansitzi.

Negative numbers

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Circle Zero
Use this interactive manipulative to work with adding positive and negative numbers.

BBC Skillswise - Negative Numbers
This site includes an interactive that students can use to practice ordering positive and negative numbers. Worksheets for further practice are also included here. Be forewarned though. This BBC-sponsored site was constructed for Europeans, so you may need to explain some terminology to your students.

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives - Circle Zero
Use this interactive game to explore negative numbers, placing both positive and negative numbers in an interlocking series of circles, making sure all its parts add up to zero.

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