Using a Lifeline to Give Rational Numbers a Personal Touch

Abstract

When was the last time that parents told you they enjoyed their children's homework assignment because it gave them a chance to communicate with their children? That is exactly what happened in one middle-grades classroom. Jane Hunt, a seventh-grade mathematics teacher, used a number-line activity based on students' individual timelines to help her students understand the concepts of integers and rational numbers. These personal lifelines connected mathematics with language arts and other subjects. The project allowed for concept development through real-life experiences, with the added bonus that many parents became enthusiastic about opportunities to share family history with their children.