Virginia Department of Education
Road Trip
Help plan a road trip with linear equations. Scholars consider two different rental car companies and write equations representing the cost for each company. They graph the system of equations to determine the conditions under which each...
Curated OER
Exponential Functions
Analyze functions by their shape and equation and identify decay and growth based on the equation given. Learners graph their exponential functions and differentiate it using the logarithmic versus the exponential function.
PBS
Adventures With The Fish Pond: Population Modeling
Build up from the previous activity where your learners charted the population growth and decay of a fish pond with M&Ms®. Have them look at the data from that activity and create a Now-Next, or recursive equations, to predict the...
Virginia Department of Education
Normal Distributions
Pupils work to find probabilities by using areas under the normal curve. Groups work to calculate z-scores and solve real-world problems using the empirical rule or tables.
Curated OER
Adding and Subtracting Integers: The Symbols + and -
This activity begins with an explanation of how to add and subtract positive and negative integers. Learners solve and complete 20 different problems that include these types of problems. First, they fill in each blank with the correct...
Virginia Department of Education
Inequalities
Compare graphing an inequality in one variable on a number line to graphing an inequality in two variables on a coordinate plane. Young mathematicians work on a puzzle matching inequalities and their solutions. They then complete a...
Curated OER
Calculate the Slope of a Line Using Two Points
Find that slope! This video does an excellent job of demonstrating how to use the slope formula to find the slope of a line using two points. The instructor first reviews the definition of slope of a line, then works three problems using...
EngageNY
Sampling Variability
Work it out — find the average time clients spend at a gym. Pupils use a table of random digits to collect a sample of times fitness buffs are working out. The scholars use their random sample to calculate an estimate of the mean of the...
Balanced Assessment
Catenary
Develop a model for a hanging chain. Pupils find a mathematical model for a hanging chain and then they compare their models to the precise function that models the curve. Scholars come up with a strategy to determine how close...
Mathed Up!
Scatter Graphs
Make an estimate by getting in line. The class works with scatter plots and lines of best fit to make an estimate for given values. Pupils determine whether there is a positive or negative correlation and draw a best-fit line. Using the...
National Research Center for Career and Technical Education
Architecture and Construction: Stair Construction
Within the context of the construction industry, algebra pros begin to calculate slope from the sizes of stair steps. This is a terrific activity, especially for aspiring engineers. Just be aware that it might be a stretch to meet all of...
Mascil Project
House Insulation
Make sure your house is warm in the winter. Pupils analyze graphs of heating costs for two similar houses and make hypotheses for why the costs differ. They then build models of houses with appropriate insulation to reduce heating costs.
Concord Consortium
Betweenness I
Just between us, this is a pretty cool lesson! Given two functions with the same slope, learners write three new functions whose outputs are all between the given functions. The question is open-ended, allowing pupils to explore the...
Teach Engineering
Edible Rovers (High School)
Design and build a rover ... then eat it? This activity has groups of two design and build Mars rovers. The teams determine what instruments they want to include with their rover and plan a budget. They calculate the cost of the body of...
Laying the Foundation
Box-and-Whisker Plots
Statistics is made approachable, and dare we say fun, in this activity on using box-and-whisker plots to analyze and compare data sets. Specific emphasis is placed on interpretations and explanations while graphing, and in using the...
CK-12 Foundation
Linear Programming: Bakers' Dilemma
Place the pies in a line. Pupils create a graph of a system of linear inequalities to represent the number of pies a bakery can make. Learners analyze the vertices on the graph to determine the number of pies they can bake without...
CK-12 Foundation
Newton's Method
Use an iterative process to find an approximation of a square root. Pupils use the interactive to find an approximation to find the positive root of a quadratic function with Newton's method. With the graphs, learners position the...
Radford University
Snappy Stair Sprints
Let's go for a run. Small groups determine a way to collect data to determine the time it would take to run a set of stairs. After creating a plan, teams collect data and graph their results, calculating the equation of best fit and...
Doing Maths
Measures of Length 2
Converting lengths is the focus of a metric worksheet that involves mathematicians to calculate a given number by 1000, and then convert a measurement using kilometers into meters. Finally, learners are asked to solve two word...
CK-12 Foundation
Newton's Method
Does the accuracy of the first guess make a difference down the line? Learners investigate the effects of the iterative process of finding roots, using Newton's Method. By moving the initial guess of a root on a graph, pupils observe the...
Corbett Maths
Average Rate of Change
Simply find the slope to find the average rate of change. A short video provides the definition of the average rate of change. Using the definition, pupils calculate the average rate of change to solve problems that cover finding average...
Curated OER
Writing in the Math Classroom
Students determine the vertex, y-intercept and direction of a parabola and write an explanation of how to graph a parabola. They collect and graph data using a calculator.
Curated OER
Census Statistics and Graphing
Students graphically represent data from the Census. In this middle school mathematics instructional activity, students investigate the housing characteristics of different tribes of Native Americans and compare them to the average...