The Sieve of Eratosthenes is a classic mathematical concept, used to generate the prime numbers.

Although the earliest prime numbers are listed in many mathematical reference books, your students can discover them by using the method known as the Sieve of Eratosthenes, named after the Greek geographer and astronomer who lived from c.

Topics include the role of number theory in mathematics education research, understanding number theory's relationship with algebra and arithmetic, appreciating multiplicative structures, repeating patterns, using the Sieve of Eratosthenes in the elementary grades, learning number theory through a chain of discovery, learning number theory in a calculator environment and through geometrical interactive computer programs, problem solving, and revising algebra in a number theory setting.