EngageNY
Obstacles Resolved—A Surprising Result
The greater the degree, the more solutions to find! Individuals find the real solutions from a graph and use the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra to find the remaining factors.
EngageNY
Differences Due to Random Assignment Alone
It takes a lot of planning to achieve a random result! Learners compare results of random assignment, and conclude that random assignment allows results to be attributed to chance. They also realize the set of random means are clustered...
Teach Engineering
Trash to Treasure!
One person's trash is another man's treasure. Challenge your class to build something useful out of the trash they throw away on a regular basis. Groups design and build a practical item from trash they collect, allowing the class to...
Teach Engineering
Above-Ground Storage Tanks in the Houston Ship Channel
Introduce your class to storage tank failures caused by major storms with an activity that looks at how the concepts of Archimedes' Principle and Pascal's Law affect the storage tanks along the Houston Ship Channel. The background...
Teach Engineering
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is one of several garbage patches around the world where garbage accumulates naturally. As part of a GIS unit that combines oceanography, environmental science, and life science, class members investigate...
Teach Engineering
Get the Word Out at McDonald's!
To get the word out that the Great Pacific garbage patch (GPGP) contains millions of pounds of non-biodegrading plastics, individuals research the GPGP and write an article for a newsletter. Researchers present their facts in a way that...
SRI International
The Water Crisis
Water, water, everywhere, right? Wrong. Learners assess their own knowledge of water availability on Earth. Then, through a reading, a teacher-led presentation, and an activity, pupils learn about the importance of available clean...
Teach Engineering
Flame Test: Red, Green, Blue, Violet?
Let the true colors shine through. Pupils conduct a flame test to identify an unknown element. Class members calculate and prepare specific molarity solutions of three chemicals. Using their observations of the colors emitted, they...
It's About Time
Electricity and Your Community
Young scientists read and interpret a data table about energy generation around the world. Next, they use the Internet to investigate energy generation in their own state, and, finally, pupils read a passage and answer questions about it.
Teach Engineering
Thinking Green!
Encourage your class to solve local environmental issues. Groups brainstorm environmental issues that are affecting the community, choose one they want to solve, and design a product or service to solve their chosen issue. They then...
Global Oneness Project
Deconstructing Consumerism
To increase awareness and launch a discussion of consumerism, class members view What Would It Look Like, a 25 minute film of images that capture the global effects of the consumption of goods. Viewers make a list of the images that they...
EngageNY
Building Logarithmic Tables
Thank goodness we have calculators to compute logarithms. Pupils use calculators to create logarithmic tables to estimate values and use these tables to discover patterns (properties). The second half of the lesson has scholars use given...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 6: Trigonometric Functions
Create trigonometric functions from circles. The first lesson of the module begins by finding coordinates along a circular path created by a Ferris Wheel. As the lessons progress, pupils graph trigonometric functions and relate them to...
Inside Mathematics
Graphs (2006)
When told to describe a line, do your pupils list its color, length, and which side is high or low? Use a worksheet that engages scholars to properly label line graphs. It then requests two applied reasoning answers.
Noyce Foundation
Ducklings
The class gets their mean and median all in a row with an assessment task that uses a population of ducklings to work with data displays and measures of central tendency. Pupils create a frequency chart and calculate the mean and median....
Noyce Foundation
Parallelogram
Parallelograms are pairs of triangles all the way around. Pupils measure to determine the area and perimeter of a parallelogram. They then find the area of the tirangles formed by drawing a diagonal of the parallelogram and compare their...
Noyce Foundation
Pizza Crusts
Enough stuffed crust to go around. Pupils calculate the area and perimeter of a variety of pizza shapes, including rectangular and circular. Individuals design rectangular pizzas with a given area to maximize the amount of crust and do...
Bowland
Football, the Beautiful Game
Discover how to use mathematics to make a stronger soccer team. Young soccer enthusiasts use given data to make decisions about a soccer team. They decide which position to assign each player, consider what makes a good pass and...
California Mathematics Project
Reflections
Reflections are the geometric mirror. Pupils explore this concept as they discover the properties of reflections. They focus on the coordinates of the reflections and look for patterns. This is the third lesson in a seven-part series.
NASA
Astronomy Mission Module
Yes, scientists say, there is other life in our solar system! And the best place to look is on Europa, a moon of Jupiter. Here, learners mimic the techniques scientists use to gather information about objects in our solar system, write...
Inside Mathematics
Archery
Put the better archer in a box. The performance task has pupils compare the performance of two archers using box-and-whisker plots. The resource includes sample responses that are useful in comparing individuals' work to others.
Inside Mathematics
Hopewell Geometry
The Hopewell people of the central Ohio Valley used right triangles in the construction of earthworks. Pupils use the Pythagorean Theorem to determine missing dimensions of right triangles used by the Hopewell people. The assessment task...
Noyce Foundation
Percent Cards
Explore different representations of numbers. Scholars convert between fractions, decimals, and percents, and then use these conversions to plot the values on a horizontal number line.
Noyce Foundation
Sewing
Sew up your unit on operations with decimals using this assessment task. Young mathematicians use given rules to determine the amount of fabric they need to sew a pair of pants. They must also fill in a partially complete bill for...