1. Writing story problems or a story for mathematics.

•  Write a story that describes (variables, figures, graphs, tables).  Illustrate your story with pictures and/or graphs.
•  Write a story that describes the Jones's family's trip to the museum.  Use the graph that shows time and distance to describe the trip.
•  Write a story problem that could be used to fin whole, rational, integer operations, concepts, and formulas.
•  Write a  story problem for the example  52 x 36 = 1,872
•  Write a detective or mystery story involving a crime where area and perimeter are important clues to the solution.
•  Write a story that includes a detailed description of our school.  Use words like perimeter, volume, area, height, triangle, etc.
•  Write a children's story that would teach a first grader about geometric shapes.
•  Write a fable about mathematics.  Fables usually end with a moral.  An example might be, "Practicing your math facts makes one a speed mathematician."  Think of your own mathematics moral.  Then write a fable with the moral as a lesson.

• Some students think that (alternate conception, error).  Explain your thinking in pictures and in words.  Example, Some students think when you multiply you always get a larger number.  What do you think?  Explain your thinking in pictures and in words.
• Explain your thinking in words and pictures.
•  Some students think that 1/10 is greater than 1/2.  What do you think?

•  Describe in words and pictures how the diameter of a circle is related to other parts of the circle.
•  Describe several different ways you could measure our school cafeteria.  Then tell which way you would use and why.
•  If you measured an object with five different rulers and got five different answers, how would you decide which answer was correct.  Explain your thinking.
•  Carpet is sold in square yards.  The width of a carpet roll is 12 feet.  Describe how you calculate the amount of carpet you should buy to cover the floors of three bedrooms measuring 10' x 12', 10' x 10', and 16' x 18'.

•  Write what you would say and what you would draw to teach a classmate how to add fractions.
•  Describe the error in thinking that a student has made on his math test.  Don got an answer of 15 for the example 6 + 24/2
•  How would use fraction bars to teach equivalent fractions for 1/2?

•  Determine the most popular flavor of ice cream in your school.  Illustrate your findings.
•  Construct a line graph for the high/low temperatures for q wee.
•  Construct a table that records 10 different observations you make about weight and height relationship of people in your class.

Topics for Getting Started

•  Describe how your mother or father uses mathematics in their job.  Use words and pictures.
•  What do you like most (least) about leaning mathematics?
•  Cut out pictures you like from a magazine and paste it into your journal.  Write a story problem that is related to your picture.
•  Write an autobiography that describes how you have learned mathematics.

•  Describe in words and pictures how fractions and decimals are alike and how they are different.
•  Tell me everything you know about this picture (a trapezoid)
•  Create a pattern with two shapes of your choice.  Describe your pattern in words.
•  Some people think when you divide you always get a smaller number.  What do you think?