Have your students describe mathematical objects in words. Show them a Mobius strip, and ask them to try and describe it as well as possible. Show them a pattern of numbers, and ask them to describe its growth or decay. Show them a complex polygon, and ask them to describe it in words so that another could reproduce it.
Have them craft logical arguments, or rebut others. Have them write predictions of experiments (what will happen when you cut a Mobius strip in half down the middle?), perform the experiment, and describe the result. Lead them down the road of reason and logic, as these are the undercurrents of mathematics and science.
Additionally, you teach them to read for important facts. Reading literature is far different from reading scientific material. You don't need to read dense material cover to cover... you look for titles, graphs, tables, and pertinent information. When reading a math problem, many students' problem is figuring out what it is asking... practice looking for meaning in rich story problems. The number one problem that my students have on math tests is literacy-based... they're often intimidated by long, wordy problems and don't even bother trying the math.
Finally, tell them how important math and science is. Many students inherit their fear of math because so many other teachers make comments like "you'll have to ask the math teacher, I don't know any of that stuff" that make it seem unattainable and unnecessary. Show them that math is used in the world around them. By the book (recently re-released) "The Education of T.C. MITS" by Lieber and read it... you can find it at Amazon or B&N.
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Have your students describe mathematical objects in words. Show them a Mobius strip, and ask them to try and describe it as well as possible. Show them a pattern of numbers, and ask them to describe its growth or decay. Show them a complex polygon, and ask them to describe it in words so that another could reproduce it.
Have them craft logical arguments, or rebut others. Have them write predictions of experiments (what will happen when you cut a Mobius strip in half down the middle?), perform the experiment, and describe the result. Lead them down the road of reason and logic, as these are the undercurrents of mathematics and science.
Additionally, you teach them to read for important facts. Reading literature is far different from reading scientific material. You don't need to read dense material cover to cover... you look for titles, graphs, tables, and pertinent information. When reading a math problem, many students' problem is figuring out what it is asking... practice looking for meaning in rich story problems. The number one problem that my students have on math tests is literacy-based... they're often intimidated by long, wordy problems and don't even bother trying the math.
Finally, tell them how important math and science is. Many students inherit their fear of math because so many other teachers make comments like "you'll have to ask the math teacher, I don't know any of that stuff" that make it seem unattainable and unnecessary. Show them that math is used in the world around them. By the book (recently re-released) "The Education of T.C. MITS" by Lieber and read it... you can find it at Amazon or B&N.
Keep fighting the good fight!