Virginia Department of Education
Volume of a Rectangular Prism
Fill the minds of your young mathematicians. A hands-on activity has learners fill in a rectangular prism with unit cubes to determine its volume. the exercise provides a great hands-on way for learners to connect the activity to the...
Virginia Department of Education
Similar Figures
How similar do figures have to be to be similar figures? Individuals learn to identify similar figures by verifying that angles are congruent and sides are proportional. Additionally, they match the corresponding parts of similar figures.
Virginia Department of Education
Give or Take a Few
Young mathematicians extend their knowledge of rational numbers on a number line to graph inequalities by first using number cards to compare rational numbers. They finish by using similar reasoning to graph inequalities on a number line.
Curated OER
Exploration of "Pillbugs"
Fifth graders define vocabulary terms, identify the characteristics of a pillbug, and create a dichotomous key. Then they examine the pillbugs and make observations and record these observations. Finally, 5th graders observe specific...
Virginia Department of Education
Exponents
Expand your knowledge of exponents with an activity that promotes critical thinking and comparison skills. Middle and high schoolers compare numbers written in expanded and exponential form and explain their strategies for solving...
Virginia Department of Education
Complex Numbers
Build on your class' understanding of real numbers as they begin working with complex numbers. Pupils begin with an exploration of i and the patterns in the powers of i. After developing a definition for i, they simplify complex number...
Virginia Department of Education
Cover Up Problems
Don't cover up this resource — use it out in the open! Pupils learn how to cover up various parts of a linear equation in order to help solve the equation. A worksheet of problems provides practice with this skill.
Virginia Department of Education
3-D Figures
Scholars construct three-dimensional figures to study dimension and side views. Learners build models using linking cubes to match views of different sides. After practicing with models, they attempt to match three-dimensional drawings...
Virginia Department of Education
Area and Perimeter
Develop a strategy for finding the area and perimeter of irregular figures. Building on an understanding of finding area and perimeter of rectangles and triangles, learners apply the same concepts to composite figures. After practicing...
Curated OER
Environmental Studies: The Power of Wind
Investigate the prospect of wind as a renewable resource. Second and third graders make a pinwheel, answer critical thinking questions, and then attempt to use wind power to wind string. I would be more apt to use this lesson in a 1st or...
Virginia Department of Education
Factoring for Zeros
Relate factors to zeros and x-intercepts. Scholars first graph quadratics in both standard and factored forms to see that they are the same. They go on to use the graphs to see the relationship between factors and x-intercepts.
Virginia Department of Education
Scientifically Speaking
Explore the connection between operations with scientific notation and the laws of exponents. Scholars work on a set of word problems involving operations with scientific notation. Along the way, they consider how the laws of exponents...
Virginia Department of Education
Square Roots
Square away any doubts about using a new resource. Pupils learn about squares and square roots in the mini-instructional activity. They complete a worksheet identifying roots of perfect squares up to 400.
Virginia Department of Education
Ordering Fractions, Decimals, and Percents
Order up a resource on comparing rational numbers. Scholars order fractions, decimals, and percents by converting to a single form. They conduct a cut-and-paste activity ordering three sets of rational numbers.
Curated OER
The Ozone Layer
Students examine the issue of ozone depletion. They define key vocabulary terms, take a pre-quiz, discuss the quiz questions and answers, read an article, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
The Civil War: Learning from Our Peers
Fifth graders discover the Civil War as taught by their peers. In this Civil War lesson, 5th graders create their own lesson plans to teach the class about the Civil War. The students are monitored by the teacher but are given lectures...
Curated OER
Unraveling the Web
Students consider how a message might be traced along a complex network, then explore backbone maps as a basis for understanding the purpose and structure of the Internet.
Curated OER
Chew On This!
Learners develop pamphlets for a dental health mentoring program that educates younger learners about caring for their teeth. They recall experiences at visits to dentists and consider why some students may have poor dental health.
Curated OER
Reaching Students through Literacy Centers
Continue the celebration of literacy this month by integrating reading centers into the classroom.
Curated OER
New York City Delights: The Taxi Cab
You set the rate! Step into the shoes of a taxi driver in New York City, and also pretend to be a person who uses taxis to get around town. The class will conduct collaborative research to learn about the history of taxis. Then, they...
Curated OER
Justice Is Blind, Colorblind That Is
It's so interesting to see kids respond to articles about education. To start the day, prompt learners to discuss the words colorblindness and diversity. Then, split your class in two and have one side read an article from 2007 and the...
Curated OER
Lost Names: Scenes From a Korean Boyhood,
What a great resource to share! Based on the book Lost Names by Richard Kim, this valuable lesson focuses on the Japanese occupation of Korea during WWII. Additionally, it employs first-person journaling as a mode of understanding themes...
Curated OER
Famous Person: Yushiko Uchida
Third, fourth, and fifth graders read the book The Bracelet by Yushiko Uchida and examine the events of Uchida's life. They participate in a guided discussion of Japanese culture, perform a reader's theater, listen to a guest speaker,...
Curated OER
Cite Your Sites!
The New York Times article “Lessons in Internet Plagiarism,” launches a look at how the Internet has increased the prevalence of plagiarism. The richly detailed lesson includes warm-up and wrap-up activities, discussion questions,...