Curated OER
The Notorious Four-Color Problem
Take a walk through time, 1852 to 2005, following the mathematical history, development, and solution of the Four-Color Theorem. Learners take on the role of cartographers to study a United States map that is to be colored. One rule: no...
Foundation for Water & Energy Education
How Can Work Be Done with Water Power? Activity B
In this second of three activities, energy engineers plan and create a hydropower dam as they learn how hydroelectric power plants generate electricity. A hydropower puzzle is also included, which can be worked on by teams that finish...
Virginia Department of Education
Logic and Conditional Statements
If there is a conditional statement, then there is a hypothesis and conclusion. Pupils learn how to identify the parts of conditional statements. Class members continue to work with conditional statements and rewrite them in their many...
Workforce Solutions
Egg-streme Sports
Challenge small groups to build a structure that catches a raw egg without breaking—working collaboratively and applying mathematical and engineering principles. Pretending the frame was made by a business, scholars create a marketing...
Curated OER
Equal Differences Over Equal Intervals 2
Your algebra learners explore linear functions concretely using tables of values in a collaborative task. The idea that linear function values change by equal differences over equal intervals, is emphasized. The slope and y-intercept...
Illustrative Mathematics
Are They Similar?
Learners separate things that just appear similar from those that are actually similar. A diagram of triangles is given, and then a variety of geometric characteristics changed and the similarity of the triangles analyzed. Because the...
Code.org
Algorithms Detour - Minimum Spanning Tree
This optional activity introduces the class to the idea of a minimum spanning tree. The activity focuses on determining an algorithm that will find the most efficient path in a network to transfer data.
Statistics Education Web
Odd or Even? The Addition and Complement Principles of Probability
Odd or even—fifty-fifty chance? Pupils first conduct an experiment rolling a pair of dice to generate data in a probability instructional activity. It goes on to introduce mutually exclusive and non-mutually exclusive events, and how to...
Statistics Education Web
Did I Trap the Median?
One of the key questions in statistics is whether the results are good enough. Use an activity to help pupils understand the importance of sample size and the effect it has on variability. Groups collect their own sample data and compare...
American Statistical Association
Bubble Trouble!
Which fluids make the best bubbles? Pupils experiment with multiple fluids to determine which allows for the largest bubbles before popping. They gather data, analyze it in multiple ways, and answer analysis questions proving they...
Illustrative Mathematics
Coordinates of Equilateral Triangles
Can it be constructed? The task poses the question whether it is possible to have an equilateral triangle with its vertices located at integer coordinates. Pupils work with their knowledge of trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean...
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
Mascil Project
Design a Parking Garage
Parking structures don't build themselves. Investigate the process of designing and planning the construction of a parking garage. After considering the factors that must go into the design, scholars create their own models from a set of...
University of Utah
Geometry: Angles, Triangles, and Distance
The Pythagorean Theorem is a staple of middle school geometry. Scholars first investigate angle relationships, both in triangles and in parallel lines with a transversal, before proving and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.
Balanced Assessment
Melons and Melon Juice
Model the difference between the graphs of discrete and continuous functions. Scholars examine two scenarios and construct graphs to model the situation. They then compare their graphs that illustrate the subtle difference between these...
Teach Engineering
May the Force Be with You: Weight
Too much material will weigh you down. The sixth segment in a series of 22 highlights how weight affects a plane. Pupils learn that engineers take the properties of materials, including weight, when designing something.
Curated OER
Symmetries of Rectangles
Learners explore mapping a rectangle onto itself using rigid motion concepts, geometric intuition and experimenting with manipulatives in a collaborative task.
Buffalo State
A Five Day Approach to Using Technology and Manipulatives to Explore Area and Perimeter
Young mathematicians build an understanding of area and perimeter with their own two hands in a series of interactive geometry lessons. Through the use of different math manipulatives, children investigate the properties of rectangles,...
Alberta Learning
Area and Perimeter of Irregular Shapes
Evaluate young mathematicians' understanding of area and perimeter with this series of three assessment tasks. Challenging learners to not only calculate the area and perimeter of irregular shapes, but to explain in writing their...
Computer Science Unplugged
Tourist Town—Dominating Sets
As an introduction to using a network to determine the fewest number of nodes that meet a given condition, small groups work together to determine the fewest number of ice cream vans, and their locations, to be able to serve the people...
Cornell University
Insect Anatomy
Young entomologists discover insect anatomy in a very detailed unit plan. Offering background information for teachers about various insects, class members explore the differences between bugs and insects—and yes, there are many...
Teach Engineering
A Good Foundation
It takes a strong foundation to build a house and a stronger one for a bridge. This resource presents the effects of geology and soil on bridge foundations. Working in groups, the class investigates the interaction of shallow and deep...
Teach Engineering
Exploring Acceleration with an Android
Small groups use rubber bands to accelerate an Android device along a track of books. They collect the acceleration data and analyze it in order to determine the device's velocity.
Balanced Assessment
House Plan
A short assessment has individuals determine the scale of a house plan. They use the scale to calculate the size of a door and window that need to be replaced, and then divide a bedroom in two, calculating the size of rooms created.