NASA
Launch Altitude Tracker
Using PVC pipe and aquarium tubing, build an altitude tracker. Pupils then use the altitude tracker, along with a tangent table, to calculate the altitude of a launched rocket using the included data collection sheet.
NASA
Rocket Wind Tunnel
Using a teacher-built wind tunnel constructed from a paper concrete tube form, a fan, and a balance, individuals determine the amount of drag their rocket design will experience in flight. Pupils make modifications to increase the...
Geophysical Institute
Latitude and Longitude with Google Earth
Travel the world from the comfort of your classroom with a instructional activity that features Google Earth. High schoolers follow a series of steps to locate places all over the earth with sets of coordinates. Additionally, they...
Statistics Education Web
Double Stuffed?
True or false — Double Stuf Oreos always contain twice as much cream as regular Oreos. Scholars first measure the masses of the filling in regular Oreos and Double Stuf Oreos to generate a class set of data. They use hypothesis testing...
NASA
Connecting Models and Critical Questions
Scholars use data to analyze and determine which sets of information need to be counted. They create a model to explain differences among chemical elements using graphs to prove concept mastery.
Alabama Learning Exchange
Straight Line Motion
Students examine gravity, mass, and friction. In this speed and motion instructional activity, students investigate how straight line motion is impacted by gravity, mass, and fiction as they participate in a hands-on activity.
Achieve
Yogurt Packaging
Food companies understand how to use math to their advantage. Learners explore the math related to the packaging and serving size of yogurt. They then use unit analysis and percent values to make decisions on the product development.
University of Nottingham
Drawing to Scale: A Garden
See how design and geometry go hand in hand. The activity asks learners to use geometry to design a backyard garden given dimensions of each feature. Scholars work with ratios and scale to develop an accurate scale drawing that includes...
Cornell University
Thin Films
Combine mathematics and science to calculate measurements of unmeasurable materials. Individuals use knowledge of density and volume to determine the thickness of the film used in production. They also apply stoichiometry to determine...
National Security Agency
Classifying Triangles
Building on young mathematicians' prior knowledge of three-sided shapes, this lesson series explores the defining characteristics of different types of triangles. Starting with a shared reading of the children's book The Greedy Triangle,...
Teach Engineering
Slinkies as Solenoids
What does an MRI machine have to do with a slinky? This activity challenges learners to run a current through a slinky and use a magnetic field sensor to measure the magnetic field. Groups then change the length of the slinky to see the...
Cornell University
Mechanical Properties of Gummy Worms
Learners won't have to squirm when asked the facts after completing an intriguing lab investigation! Hook young scholars on science by challenging them to verify Hooke's Law using a gummy worm. Measuring the length of the worm as they...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Unit Circle: Special Angles—Just Know One
It's all about the patterns! Young scholars learn that the unit circle repeats itself in all four quadrants. Using these patterns, they evaluate the sine, cosine, and tangent of special angles.
American Institutes for Research
Digital Smiles
Explore metric measurement, recording data, and creating an electronic spreadsheet displaying results with your math class. Scholars will measure the length of their smiles, record the measurements, and represent the results on an...
American Statistical Association
You and Michael
Investigate the relationship between height and arm span. Young statisticians measure the heights and arm spans of each class member and create a scatter plot using the data. They draw a line of best fit and use its slope to explain the...
Teach Engineering
Sliders (for High School)
Slip sliding away. Groups investigates the two types of friction by running an experiment that allows them to calculate the coefficient of static friction and the coefficient of kinetic friction. The experiment uses a box, a basket, and...
Statistics Education Web
10,000 Steps?
Conduct an experiment to determine the accuracy of pedometers versus pedometer apps. Class members collect data from each device, analyze the data using a hypothesis test, and determine if there is a significant difference between the...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 5: Modeling with Geometry
Solids come in many shapes and sizes. Using geometry, scholars create two-dimensional cross-sections of various three-dimensional objects. They develop the lesson further by finding the volume of solids. The module then shifts to finding...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Scale Factor
Does doubling mean everything doubles? Learners adjust the scale factor between two rectangles. Using the calculated measurements, pupils investigate the ratios between the lengths, perimeters, and areas of the rectangles.
Cornell University
Splitting Water with Electricity
Explore how electricity splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Learners begin by calculating the voltage necessary to separate the water. They then perform the experiment and measure the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen bubbles.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Spring Scale Engineering
After examining how a spring scale works, teams work together to design their own general measurement device. Reading material provides background information, but there is no part of the procedure in which learners handle an actual...
Carnegie Mellon University
Consumer Preferences in Lighting
What is a watt? This tongue-twisting, mind-bending question and others are answered through this lesson on the different lighting options available. With the support of a PowerPoint, teach your physical science class about units of...
Carnegie Mellon University
Home Energy Audit
Youngsters make a mental assessment of electricity-consuming appliances in their homes and then evaluate them for the amount of energy consumed. They learn how to use power meters and measure the electrical consumption of several...
Curated OER
Tile Patterns II: Hexagons
After learning that the sum of interior angles for triangles is 108 degrees, take it further to show that the sum of angles in any polygon is the same! Using hexagons, pupils practice finding the measure of the six congruent angles. Make...