ALGEBRA BY DESIGN

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9453876 "Algebra by Design" is a three year project in which researchers and teachers will create design activities for middle school students introducing them to functions and algebraic thinking. Researchers will study students engaged in open-ended design challenges requiring them to use their creativity to build structures, design devices and create vidual displays form the fields of mechanical engineering,physics, art geometry and environmental sciences. these design challenges will present middle school students with a problem, a purpose, constraints, materials and means of evaluation. Interactive technological tools such as function Probe, Shape Shifter, Macmotion, Interactive Physics and Geometer's Sketchpad will be available for students to analyze their projects. Review panels of peers and experts will provide feedback on the projects. projects will be selected for their appeal to success in assisting students in learning to work effectively in algebra. Small group interactions among groups of students and teachers will be studied first as researchers find ways to bridge from design activities to algebraic thinking and back. A set of selected projects will then be used in a year long teaching experiment in a combined technology and algebra class with heterogeneous grouping. Research will be conducted on effective policies for implementing reform, necessary teacher development and improving student outcomes.