Overview  Welcome to the Project-based Mathematics (PBM) website.  The focus of PBM is to use illustrative examples, in the form of relevant and hands-on activities and projects, to enhance the comprehension of mathematical concepts as they relate to the curriculum in the elementary and junior high level.  This website contains a collection PBM activities which can be used directly, or adapted by K-12 teachers to suit classroom needs.  Each activity is discussed in detail, and handouts and worksheets are available for download.

Background Within the past decade, the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) has indicated that the performance of elementary, middle and high school students in the areas of mathematics and science has been on the decline. The US mathematical community was alarmed by these results and thus various organizations nationwide took action. Through a grant sponsored by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources, nationwide partnership programs were developed between K-12 teachers and university science and mathematics graduate students. Each university's program across the US had to meet the objectives set forth by NSF. For the Graduate / K-12 Teacher (GK-12) Partnership Program initiated at the University of Washington, the following goals were outlined to meet those objectives:

• Improve K-12 teachers' and students' mathematical understanding.
• Partner with teachers to implement exemplary mathematics curricula that meet State of Washington and NCTM standards in K-12 classrooms.
• Provide teachers opportunities for professional development in mathematics outside the classroom.
• Educate graduate students about inquiry-based teaching and learning in mathematics classrooms.
• Provide graduate students with opportunities to communicate about mathematics and provide mathematical leadership to their partners outside the University setting.

A Brief history of Project-Based Mathematics  Project-Based Mathematics (or PBM for short) originated from the NSF/UW GK-12 program at the University of Washington.  Joseph Giordano and Kam K. Leang, two NSF/UW GK-12 Fellows, developed PBM to meet some of NSF's goals .  As such, PBM's focus is to use illustrative examples, in the form of relevant and hands-on activities and projects, to enhance the comprehension of mathematical concepts as they relate to the curriculum in the elementary and junior high level.  PBM was developed through a partnership between Kam and Joe and a group of 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th grade teachers from the Northshore School District in Seattle, WA.  This website documents all of the activities developed under the PBM framework.

In conjunction with the National Science Foundation, the work of this project was also supported by the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Washington. For more information about the NSF/UW Math GK12 Program, contact Director Loyce Adams.

Copyright Information

Please note that all PBM related content on this site (i.e., documents, web pages, figures, and photos) are copyrighted by the University of Washington, Department of Applied Mathematics. All PMB-related material on this site can only be used for education purposes only, and commercial use is strictly prohibited. For more information about terms of use and copyright information, please contact Loyce Adams.