Curated OER
Charity Fair
What is the probability of picking the same color ball out of three identical barrels? If you wanted to design a game that made money, how could you structure a game and what would you charge for each chance? How much should you pay a...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Division
When you divide two integers you can get a decimal form of a rational number that repeats. How do you interpret that number in real-world situations? Her is an example question: What does 2.6666666666 mean in terms of an amount of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Find the Missing Angle
This one activity requires young geometers to pull together information they are currently learning with things they have learned previously. Here they rely on understanding something about parallel lines, alternative interior angles,...
Illustrative Mathematics
Cari's Aquarium
The volume of a fish tank is a rather important measure when it comes to building an aquarium for different species of fish. In this problem, your kids look at how many different ways they can make a fish tank of a specific volume,...
Illustrative Mathematics
Jumping Flea
Mathematics minors consider the magnitude of a jumping flea as he hops from place to place. Through this exercise, they will investigate absolute values, as well as positive and negative rational numbers on a number line. The first page...
Shodor Education Foundation
Sets and the Venn Diagram (Beginner)
Venn diagrams are helpful in understanding the idea of a set and using attributes to sort items. This basic plan is an introduction with an added bonus of an applet that can be used to demonstrate the activity. If a classroom of...
Curated OER
Proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem
Working individually and collaboratively, geometers gain a clear understanding of the Pythagorean theorem. They create, explain, and compare proofs of the theorem. Proofs involve areas of trapezoids, squares, and triangles, congruent...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Using Positive and Negative Numbers in Context
Measure the temperature of your math class with a temperature-based lesson on adding and subtracting rational numbers. The thermometer serves as a vertical number line for learners as they work together to solve a temperature change...
Illustrative Mathematics
Graphs of Quadratic Functions
The equations look different, but their graphs are the same. How can that be? This activity leads your mathematicians in an exploration of three different forms of the same quadratic function. After comparing the equations, their graphs,...
Shodor Education Foundation
Algorithm Discovery with Venn Diagrams
Here is a lesson that takes an interesting approach to analyzing data using box and whisker plots. By using an applet that dynamically generates Venn diagrams, the class forms a strategy/algorithm for guessing the rule that fits...
Illustrative Mathematics
Ants Versus Humans
You would think that humans make up more mass than ants do on this planet, but think again, and this time by performing calculations. Middle schoolers use scientific notation to compute and compare the estimated total mass of all humans...
Illustrative Mathematics
Exponentials and Logarithms II
Learners are given a logarithmic function and its inverse exponential function. The task, which is to graph both compositions of the two functions, uses the inverse nature of exponents and logarithms to generalize about the properties of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Exponentials and Logarithms I
This task focuses on using the verbal definition of the logarithm to understand that a logarithm is an exponent. Learners complete six computational exercises using the inverse properties of logs and exponents and answer two...
Illustrative Mathematics
Transforming the graph of a function
This activity guides learners through an exploration of common transformations of the graph of a function. Given the graph of a function f(x), students generate the graphs of f(x + c), f(x) + c, and cf(x) for...
Illustrative Mathematics
Building an Explicit Quadratic Function by Composition
Use an activity to illustrate the different forms of a quadratic function. Here, the task asks learners to use composition of given functions to build an explicit function. The process emphasizes the impact of the order of...
Curated OER
Extending the Definitions of Exponents, Variation 2
Introduce the concept of exponential functions with an activity that extends the definition of exponents to include rational values. Start with a doubling function at integer values of time, then expand table to include frational time...
Illustrative Mathematics
1.OA, NBT, The Very Hungry Caterpillar
First graders are exposed to addition of three whole numbers in a math activity centered around Eric Carle's, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. As the teacher reads, young mathematicians use counters and ten-frames to symbolize the number of...
Illustrative Mathematics
How Many Colored Pencils?
Support young mathematicians' interpretation of place value in order to multiply single-digit numbers by 10. The task builds upon and enhances a learners' understanding of place value, a second grade skill, while introducing...
Curated OER
Comparing a Number and a Product
Mental math strategies are important for fifth graders to be able to determine the greater sum without actually solving the equations. As a summative assessment, this eight-problem activity can give insight into the understanding of the...
Agile Mind
Transforming Graphs of Quadratic Functions
In the activity on this webpage, learners use interactive graphing technology to investigate transformations of graphs. In the first part of the task, they look at the graph of a quadratic function with coordinates of a few points...
Curated OER
Folding strips of paper
Fifth graders need concrete experiences to introduce a unit on multiplying fractions by fractions. A strip of paper is used to create a number line and represent 5/6. It is folded first in half, and then in quarters. After unfolding,...
Curated OER
Comparing Investments
Money, money, money. A complete lesson that makes use of different representations of simple and compound interest, including written scenarios, tables, graphs, and equations to highlight similarities and differences between linear and...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Representing Polynomials
Use this complete and very detailed lesson plan to assess your students' understanding of two important behaviors of polynomials. The first is the relationship between the zeros of a polynomial function and the function's graph, and the...
Illustrative Mathematics
To Multiply or not to multiply?
When do you multiply a fraction by a fraction? Here, fifth graders are given 10 different word problems and asked to decide if multiplying 2/5 x 1/8 is appropriate. Many times, real-world word problems sound similar although the required...