9730250 McGehee The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities plans to introduce middle school students to the notion that there are many possible shapes for a three-dimensional universe. The students learn by example, using paper and scissors activities, Web-based computer games, and a computer-animated video to explore a few of the simplest possible universes in an intuitive, hands-on way. These materials are designed to spark the interest of students at risk of being turned off to mathematics. The project team will develop a preliminary version of the one-week unit in the spring of 1998. Piloting and field-testing by a broader group of teachers and their students will follow the design phase. The unit will be published and presented at NCTM.
