Interactive Mathematics Program: Difference between revisions

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The '''Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP)''' is a four-year, problem-based mathematics curriculum for high schools, designed to meet the needs of both college-bound and non-college-bound students. It was one of several curricula funded by the [[National Science Foundation]] and designed around the 1989 [[National Council of Teachers of Mathematics| National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)]] [[Principles and Standards for School Mathematics|standards]]. The curriculum replaces the traditional [[Algebra]] I-[[Geometry]]-Algebra II/[[Trigonometry]]-[[Precalculus]] sequence. The IMP books were authored by Dan Fendel and Diane Resek, professors of mathematics at [[San Francisco State University]], and by Lynne Alper and Sherry Fraser.

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* Each book of the curriculum is divided into five- to eight-week units, each having a central problem or theme. This larger problem serves as motivation for students to develop the underlying skills and concepts needed to solve it, through solving a variety of smaller related problems.

* Each year of the IMP curriculum integrates the algebraic, geometric, and trigonometric topics traditionally taught in separate courses, as well as topics from [[statistics]] and [[probability]] that are not included in many traditional programs.

* There is an emphasis on students working together in [[collaborative learning|collaborative groups]]. Together, they tackle problems that are usually too complex to be solved by any one individual.

* The development of communication skills is embedded throughout the curriculum, through the use of group and whole class discussions, the use of writing to present and clarify mathematical solutions, and formal oral presentations.

* The IMP curriculum expects students to make nearly daily use of a scientific [[graphing calculator]]. Students become comfortable with the calculator to such an extent that a Year 4 project tasks students with using their knowledge of trigonometry, [[matrix theory|matrix algebra]], [[graphical projection|geometric projections]] and [[transformation (geometry)|transformations]], and computer programming to design and present an animated cartoon on the screen of the graphing calculator.<ref>Fendel, R., Resek, D., Alper, L. and Fraser, S: “An Animated POW”, page 160, ''Interactive Mathematics Program: Year 4'', Key Curriculum Press, 2000.</ref>

== Debate ==

Nearly every one of these distinctive characteristics has generated controversy and placed the IMP curriculum right in the middle of the “[[math wars]],” the conflict between those that favor more traditional curricula in mathematics education and the supporters of the reform curricula that were largely an outgrowth of the 1989 [[Principles and Standards for School Mathematics|NCTM standards]].

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== Notes ==

<references/>

== LinksExternal links ==

* [http://www.mathimp.org/] Publisher’s IMP web site]

* [http://www.mathematicallycorrect.com/] Mathematically Correct home page]

{{Standards based mathematics}}