Advanced Common Core Math Explorations

Jerry Burkhart has been teaching and learning math with gifted students in Minnesota for nearly 20 years. He has degrees in physics, mathematics, and math education. He provides professional development for teachers and is a regular presenter at conferences around topics of meeting the needs of gifted students in mathematics...

• A Note to Students Introduction Connections to the Common Core State Standards Exploration 1: Building Blocks Exploration 2: 1000 Lockers Exploration 3: Factoring Large Numbers Exploration 4: Factor Scramble Exploration 5: How Many Factors?. Exploration 6: Differences and Greatest Common Factors Exploration 7: A Measurement Dilemma Exploration 8: Paper Pool Exploration 9: The GCF-LCM Connection Exploration 10: Mathematical Mystery Code References About the Author Common Core State Standards Alignment

Students who have experience with tough puzzles like those in Factors and Multiples will get excited when making prior connections. Students may not only develop a feeling of accomplishment but also become leaders by helping their peers understand the material.As students struggle through the factors of numbers, they will come across patterns, make predictions through the patterns, and finally test them. The explorations and puzzles ask students to work forward and backward. Different ways of thinking, diagraming, and finding answers will help the students master factoring at an incredibly high level.,Wanda J Milliman,Westgate High School, 2/2/16