This study aims to analyze the influence of science learning integrated with the local potential of wood carving and pottery to the critical thinking skill of class VIII SMP students. This research is a quasi-experimental research (quasi-experiment). The research design uses pretest-posttest control group design. The population in this study is the students of class VIII MTs Negeri Piyungan, while the sample is the students of class VIII A and VIII B MTs Negeri Piyungan. The technique of collecting data in this research is in the form of test. The data collection instrument is a critical thinking skill descriptive test. The data were analyzed using ANOVA test. The results of this study indicate that the learning of science integrated with the local potency of wood carving and pottery have an effect on critical thinking skill of class VIII SMP student. This effect is indicated by a significance of 0.008 (significance <0.05).

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Mathematical representation is one of the mathematical higher order thinking skills, as a tool or way of thinking in communicating mathematical ideas. Referring to a research about the inconsistency of a mathematical communication profile involving gender differences and the phenomenon of more female students than men right now, there appears to be an allegation that there is a connection between gender differences and students mathematical representation. The purpose of this study is to analyze the improvement of students' mathematical representation capability in terms of gender differences. Subjects in this research were students of class X of High School in Medan, Indonesia, consisting of 13 men and 19 women. The research instrument is a mathematical representation test consisting of 4 questions. Data analysis to find out how the category of improvement of students’ mathematical representation, using index of N-gain. The results of the research are: (1) the improvement of mathematical representation ability in the lower and middle categories of male students is higher than female students, (2) there is no male students have high category mathematical representation, but there are female students have high category mathematical representation abilities, and (3) the ability of representation to make mathematical models and explain the verbal language of male students is higher than female students. While the representational ability of making tables and drawing female students is higher than male students. The implication of the research is needs to do deeper research to see the relationship of mathematical representation ability with the students' mathematical ability profile.

Problem solving ability is an ability that sudent have to achieve after learning mathematics. This ability can be trained through using appropriate problems on student worksheets. The purpose of this study was to produce effective worksheet based on PISA and be able to improve students' problem solving abilities. The type of research is the research development that use Dick & Carey models. The trials in this study were carried out in the X IA 3 and X IA 5 classes of Brigjend Katamso I Medan. From the results of trial I and trial II obtained: (1) Worksheet based on PISA that was developed effectively, in terms of: a) classical learning completeness of students that is 89,74%; b) learning objectives for each item is more than 75%; c) 91,79% of students give positive responses; and d) learning time is the same as regular learning time; and (2) there is an increase in the average problem solving ability of students in the first tryout of 0,3 with a low category and in the second trial of 0,4 in the medium category.

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