Curated OER
Exponential Growth versus Polynomial Growth
Your algebra learners explore the values of two types of functions in order to compare growth rates in this short cooperative task. Two types of solutions are given, using a table of values and an abstract argument.
Science Matters
Richter Scale
The 12th lesson in a series of 20 opens with a demonstration of exponential functions using pasta. This concept is connected to the Richter Scale, which is also an exponential function. Scholars compare the exponential scale that...
Cornell University
Atomic Bonding
Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...
NTTI
If You Hopped Like a Frog
Get your frogs hopping by introducing them to the concepts of ratio and proportion. As a class, they perform arithmetic operations using ratios then discover how they represent quantitative relationships. In groups, they write their own...
Curated OER
Venn Diagrams
The Venn diagram is an important graphic organizer, and learners should be familiar with it. Here, pupils compare things that are made of plastic and metal, and they identify the things that have both substances in them. There are two...
Curated OER
Integer Intro
Read a series of word problems and have your class identify the process to solve them. They practice identifying, comparing, and ordering integers. They focus on recognizing opposites and the absolute value of number. An assessment...
Curated OER
Initial Fraction Ideas Lesson 16: Overview
Kids will compare creating fractions from pieces of paper to chips. They begin with a fractional part and work back to a whole. Then order fractions from smallest to largest. They also complete a worksheet to find the missing pieces to...
EngageNY
Why Worry About Sampling Variability?
Are the means the same or not? Groups create samples from a bag of numbers and calculate the sample means. Using the sample means as an estimate for the population mean, scholars try to determine whether the difference is real or not.
Curated OER
A Snapshot of Science
Sixth graders explore physical and chemical changes. In this physical science lesson, 6th graders study vocabulary, discuss the changes they see in the world and look up information on chemical and physical changes. Students create...
University of Colorado
Spacecraft Speed
Space shuttles traveled around Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, way faster than trains, planes, or automobiles travel! In the 13th installment of 22, groups graph different speeds to show how quickly spacecraft move through...
EngageNY
Existence and Uniqueness of Square Roots and Cube Roots
Teach cube roots by building on an understanding of square roots. The third installment of a 25-part series asks learners to solve simple quadratic and cubic equations using roots. Scholars compare square roots and cube roots throughout...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
The Pasture and the Fence
Beginning geometers use tiles and grid paper to draw and calculate perimeter and area. Rectangles of different sizes are created and then measured to build understanding. The one-inch grid sheet referenced is attached.
Achieve
BMI Calculations
Obesity is a worldwide concern. Using survey results, learners compare local BMI statistics to celebrity BMI statistics. Scholars create box plots of the data, make observations about the shape and spread of the data, and examine the...
Science Matters
Earthquake Building/Shaking Contest
Japan is one of only a handful of countries that constructs buildings that are almost earthquake proof. The 13th lesson in the 20-part series challenges scholars to build structures to test against earthquakes. With limited materials and...
Curated OER
Estimate How Many Seeds Are In a Fruit or Vegetable
Help mathematicians estimate how many seeds are in a given vegetable or fruit. They are divided into pairs and estimate the amount of seeds in a whole fruit without seeing the inside. They then cut the fruit or vegetable in half and...
Virginia Department of Education
Going the Distance
Estimate the value of one of the most famous irrational numbers. The hands-on lesson plan instructs classmates to measure the circumference and diameters of circles using yarn. The ratio of these quantities defines pi.
Teach Engineering
Build the Biggest Box
Boxing takes on a whole new meaning! The second installment of the three-part series has groups create lidless boxes from construction paper that can hold the most rice. After testing out their constructions, they build a new box....
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: The Challenges of The Plains
Start a whole new life in a land known as the Wild Wild West! Learners analyze maps, personal accounts, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, songs, and video clips to uncover life under the Homestead Act. Using their new skills, class members role...
Inside Mathematics
Functions
A function is like a machine that has an input and an output. Challenge scholars to look at the eight given points and determine the two functions that would fit four of the points each — one is linear and the other non-linear. The...
Noyce Foundation
Boxes
Teach your class to think outside the box. Scholars use the concept of equality to solve a problem in the assessment task. They determine how to use a scale to identify the one box out of a set of nine boxes that is heavier than the others.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Review and Assessment: Causes and Effects of Climate Changes
The last activity in the series of five is a short one where individuals show what they've learned about the causes and effects of climate change. Working independently, they fill in a graphic organizer, then compare their notes with a...
American Chemical Society
The Energy Efficiency of Heating Water
Can a small change in laboratory procedures save energy? Scholars test three different methods for heating water in a science lab. Then, they calculate the energy efficiency for each and compare them to determine which uses the least...
Curated OER
Bar Graphs
Introduce scholars to bar graphs and data analysis through analyzing these visual examples. First, they look at a pictograph of fruit types and answer five observation questions. There is one done for them as an example. Learners do the...
Curated OER
"Music Be the Food of Love:" Found Poetry with Shakespeare and Hip-Hop
Lines from Shakespeare and from hip-hop artists provide learners with an opportunity to examine the literary devices these artists use to express their ideas about love. Groups use the provided lines to craft found poems, and then the...