Curated OER
A Handy Measure
How many hands tall are you? Challenge kids to measure themselves the way the 19th century Oklahoma horse traders measured their prize horses (can they guess how many hands tall a horse had to be?). There's some background information...
Curated OER
Spoonfuls, Cupfuls and Handfuls
Explore the use of non-standard units for measuring volume with elementary learners. They fill a container and count the number used using cups, spoons, and bottles, build with blocks and count the number of blocks used, and compare and...
Beyond Benign
Got Gas
How much gas does it take to drive around town? The class uses a variety of mathematical procedures to take a look at the use of gas for transportation. Class members use a different unit to determine the cost of driving a car as opposed...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
Curated OER
Conversions Using English Units
Young scholars explore the concept of English units. In this English units instructional activity, students convert from one English unit to another English unit. Young scholars estimate the size and weight of objects using English units.
DocsTeach
The Titanic Disaster: Measuring Loss of Life, Property and Injuries
One man's unsinkable dream became a disaster for many. An intriguing activity uses primary sources to examine the claims made by Titanic survivors against the White Star Line. Scholars analyze the claims, complete a worksheet, and...
Curated OER
How Long? How Wide? How Tall? How Deep?
Students estimate the length of given objects. In this measurement lesson, students explore the use of standardized measurement. They also approximate the measurement of given items. Students read stories about measurement and experiment...
Curated OER
Wagons West!
Through learning about the Oregon Trail and Nebraska, learners evaluate the elements of historical fiction. Coming with a comprehensive bibliography, this lesson has your class learn about settlers traveling along the Oregon Trail,...
Curated OER
Wagons West!
The first pioneers faced many obstacles on their journey west. Middle schoolers read different historical fiction texts (ideas are provided), make connections, and complete a detailed packet (included). Reading guides, journal ideas, and...
Curated OER
I Will Meet You In The Middle
Learners use the 50 States Quarter Reversal as a context of learning a curriculum concept based from the state of Utah. They research the concepts of cause and effect. Also, they use customary units of measurement to find length and...
Curated OER
Time To Measure
Third graders measure time and length. Through the use of video and technology, they explore key elements of measurement, such as units and conversion between units. They explore alternate units of measurement and apply measurement to...
Facing History and Ourselves
Analyzing Historical Evidence
High schoolers examine World War I war crimes. In this world history instructional activity, learners use primary and secondary sources to research and understand the systematic nature of the Armenian Genocide. High schoolers reflect on...
Curated OER
Measure-mania
Students research the history of measurement in this lesson. They compare todays units of measurement to historical units of measurement. For example, they weigh themselves on a bathroom scale and figure out how many of them it would...
Mathematics Vision Project
Circles: A Geometric Perspective
Circles are the foundation of many geometric concepts and extensions - a point that is thoroughly driven home in this extensive unit. Fundamental properties of circles are investigated (including sector area, angle measure, and...
EngageNY
From Circle-ometry to Trigonometry
Can you use triangles to create a circle? Learners develop the unit circle using right triangle trigonometry. They then use the unit circle to evaluate common sine and cosine values.
Illustrative Mathematics
Eratosthenes and the Circumference of the Earth
The class gets to practice being a mathematician in ancient Greece, performing geometric application problems in the way of Eratosthenes. After following the steps of the great mathematicians, they then compare the (surprisingly...
Center for History Education
Maryland During the Secession Crisis
While many think the United States was neatly divided between Northern and Southern states during the Civil War, border states like Maryland are more complicated. Using hands-on activities to measure distance and primary sources,...
Edible Schoolyard
Pan de los Muertos
Accompany instruction and the celebration of El Dia de los Muertos with a loaf of Pan de los Muertos. Here, scholars measure ingredients precisely to create tasty bread, write a remembrance for someone who has passed away, and take part...
PBS
Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson Taking the Measure of a Man
During his first few games as the first black player in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson proved that he could withstand the wily curveball of Johnny Sain as well as the racial epithets shouted from opposing teams' dugouts. A short...
University of California
The Cold War (America)
The Cold War—with its roots in World War II—impacts the world today. Using an extensive curriculum, scholars consider its impact through primary sources, including speeches and propaganda, as well as other skills-enhancing activities. An...
Space Awareness
Britannia Rule the Waves
Could you determine longitude based on measuring time? Early explorers used a longitude clock to do just that. Scholars learn about early exploration and the importance of the invention of the clock. Then pupils build their own longitude...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Photographs
Picture your pupils using this assessment task. Class members must first determine the measurements of smaller copies of photographs placed next to the original. They then determine the dimensions of the entire sheet of photographs.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
Curated OER
An Introduction to Sensors
Students research the International System (SI) of units of measurements. They make measurements using the metric system. They study key concepts used in building and use of sensors, how sensors work and their role in measuring...