National Academy of Sciences
Genetic Disease: Putting DNA to Work
Scientific knowledge of genetic information has grown quickly over the last decade. An interactive lesson has learners research the role of science and medicine in diagnosing and treating genetic disorders. They consider the job of the...
US Department of Commerce
Comparing My State
How does your state compare? Using census data, scholars determine the total population and the number of 11-year-old boys and girls in two different states. They round and compare values, and then make up a question about the two states...
US Department of Commerce
The Place of My State
State the population of the state. Pupils research census data on the total population, the number of children their age, and the number of children of the same age and gender in their states. They write these numbers in standard,...
US Department of Commerce
Educational Attainment and Marriage Age - Testing a Correlation Coefficient's Significance
Do women with college degrees get married later? Using a provided scatter plot of the percentage of women who earn bachelor's degrees and the median age at which women first get married over time, pupils conduct a linear regression...
US Department of Commerce
Exploring Sampling Variability - Higher Education Attainment Across The United States
More education in statistics is always beneficial. Given cards that provide the proportion of adults with bachelor's degrees in 10 random US states, scholars individually determine the sample percentage of states in which more than 30...
US Department of Commerce
Using Fractions to Compare Amusements Parks By States
Amuse learners with a lesson on amusement parks and fractions. Using provided census data on the number of amusement parks in each state, third graders represent the fraction of states that fall within a certain range. They create a...
US Department of Commerce
Sample Means - Exploring Sampling Variability
Sample an excellent resource on sampling variability. Pupils analyze census data on the percentage of homes in each state that have Internet access. They take random samples of different sample sizes, determine the sample means, and then...
Koshland Science Museum
Infectious Disease: Evolving Challenges to Human Health High School Virtual Field Trip
Understanding the science of the spread of infectious diseases is the first step in controlling them. Learners begin by researching the factors that affect the contraction and spread of these diseases and the challenges communities face...
National Academy of Sciences
Lights at Night Webquest
Help learners find ways to become more efficient energy consumers. To start, individuals research how different countries address energy efficiency and then analyze their own carbon footprint. They use their research to identify ways to...
National Academy of Sciences
Infectious Diseases: Bird Flu Today
Understanding how viruses spread has never been more important. A well-designed WebQuest lesson has young scientists research viruses, how they spread, and how they are treated. They also consider the trends in common viruses in the world.
US Department of Commerce
How Are Single-Parent Households Distributed Across the United States?
There sure are a lot of single-parent households in the country. After selecting one of four US regions to investigate, pupils create dot plots and box plots on the percentage of single-parent households with male parents and female...
New Mexico State University
Curse Reverse
Build towers with algebraic expressions. Pupils use algebraic expressions to build towers that allow their players to navigate a series of rooms. Learners evaluate expressions using different values for the variables to create a pathway...
US Department of Commerce
Does the Percentage of People Who Walk to Work in Cities Vary with Population Size?
To walk or not to walk? Pupils create box plots comparing the percentage of residents who walk to work in large, medium, and small cities. Using the box plots, class members compare the data that reflects available statistics. Scholars...
US Department of Commerce
Commuting to Work: Box Plots, Central Tendency, Outliers
Biking may be an outlier. Using data from 10 states on the number of people reporting they bike to work, pupils calculate the measures of center. Scholars determine the range and interquartile range and find which provides a better...
US Department of Commerce
Looking at Numbers of Births Using a Line Graph
Was there a baby boom? Using census data, class members take a look at the number of 8-11 year olds and determine their birth years. Scholars create a double line graph to compare the number of births for two states for several years....
US Department of Commerce
Applying Correlation Coefficients - Educational Attainment and Unemployment
Correlate education with unemployment rates. Individuals compare state and regional unemployment rates with education levels by calculating the correlation coefficient and analyzing scatter plots. Pupils begin by looking at regional data...
Radford University
Is it Really a Small World After All?
Working in groups, learners research four countries' populations over the past 30 years. Using the data collected, the teams find regression equations that best fit the data. Taking the regression equations, they then make predictions...
Radford University
How to Calculate and Analyze the Equation for a Parabolic Path
Working in groups, pupils plot three points on the coordinate plane representing three different parabolic paths. Using a calculator, they determine the quadratic regression equation for their models. Each team then figures out the...
Radford University
Skate Ramp
Going up and down makes a more exciting ride. Pupils recall what they know about continuity and limits of functions. Working in groups, classmates design a skateboard ramp that meets a given set of criteria, using at least three...
Radford University
Discovering Quadratics
Get to know quadratics from a couple of different perspectives. Classmates work in small groups to determine the optimal cooking time for microwave popcorn. Group members pop bags of popcorn for different times and collect data on the...
Radford University
Population Project
How fast does it grow? Scholars work on two tasks dealing with exponential growth, one on population growth and the second on investments. Learners research a country's population over the past century and make predictions of the current...
Radford University
Saving the US from a Missile Crisis
Mathematically shoot down an incoming missile. Given information about the Cuban Missile Crises, learners calculate the equation of the trajectory of an imaginary missile launched from Cuba toward Washington, D.C. Scholars determine the...
Radford University
Modeling Quadratics Basketball Video Project
Will he make it? After watching a video of part of a basketball shot, groups create their own videos. Teams record a video of shooting a ball at a hoop and edit it to show only a portion of the shot. Group members determine the equation...
Radford University
Connecting Scatter Plots and Correlation Coefficients Activity
Collect a variety of bivariate data. Groups determine sets of data that would provide a positive, negative, and no correlation. Team members gather their data through out the week. Scholars plot the data and determine the relationship...