Math and Writing
One of the things stressed by standardized tests is the ability to answer open-ended questions. Typically, students are asked to provide written explanations for solutions to math problems. This assesses their ability to express their mathematical ideas in written form. To help them prepare for these types of questions, I do a math project that involves writing. I ask students to answer several open-ended questions using full sentences. The math teacher can grade students based on the mathematical correctness of their responses. The Language Arts or English Teacher can grade them on spelling and grammar. Some sample questions are provided in our Classroom Activities and Project Ideas for Number Theory and Understanding Percent. Students can also answer the questions in our Number Theory WebQuest using full sentences.