Math manipulatives as a resource in the 3rd grade classroom : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

In response to the Indiana Department of Education's desire to raise ISTEP scores in all public schools, mathematics is being very heavily stressed at the elementary school level. This has caused many schools to become quite involved in a drill and practice style of teaching mathematics. They believe it will best teach the students the information they need to know for the ISTEP. However, getting caught up in their desire to raise students' scores has lead many of these schools to forget most students learn best when they are first taught from a concrete or visual level, not by drill and practice alone. This can best be achieved in the elementary school classroom by using math related manipulatives to teach the students. In my thesis, I provide examples of different lesson plans and activities that teach students essential math concepts using math manipulatives. Each of these lessons and activities is tied directly to a third grade Indiana State Mathematics Standard and to a specific Indiana State Indicator that falls under that standard. This way third grade teachers are exposed to mathematics lessons that use hands-on manipulatives in order to cover the Indiana State Standards the teacher would be required to teach anyway.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?.