Curated OER
Math Handbook: Trigonometry
You'll be spinning in unit circles once you read through this jumbo-sized resource of everything you need to know about trigonometry. Each page has color-coded examples with explicit directions that detail the problems and...
Curated OER
Task: Range of Motion
If you have ever injured your shoulder, you know it takes a while to improve your arm's range of motion. In this real-world example, young mathematicians gain insight into the world of physical therapy while they analyze a case study...
Curated OER
Access Ramp
Just about every public building that your students are familiar with has an access ramp which complies with ADA requirements. As it turns out, designing such a ramp is an excellent activity to incorporate slope, the Pythagorean Theorem,...
Curated OER
Task: Miniature Golf
"Fore!" All right, no one really yells this out in miniature golf, but this well-defined activity will have your charges using lots of numbers in their unique design of a miniature golf hole. Included in the activity criteria is the...
Curated OER
Task: Grain Storage
Farming is full of mathematics, and it provides numerous real-world examples for young mathematicians to study. Here, we look at a cylinder-shaped storage silo that has one flat side. Given certain dimensions, students need to determine...
Curated OER
Mt. Whitney to Death Valley
This is an intriguing problem that brings together real-world data, technology, and mathematical problem solving. If visibility wasn't an issue, could you see from the highest point in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney, to the lowest...
Curated OER
Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem Using Transformations
Middle and high schoolers construct a triangle using Cabri Jr. They construct squares on each of the legs and hypotenuse of the triangle. Pupils show that the area of the squares on the leg equal the area of the square on the hypotenuse.
K20 LEARN
ADA Accessibility: Inverse Trigonometric Functions
Ramp up using trigonometric ratios. After receiving a request to check school ramps to verify they meet ADA requirements, groups calculate the angle of the incline on ramps on campus. They report their findings via a letter to the...
Flipped Math
Unit 9 Review: Area of Polygons
It's time to show what you know! Individuals first review finding the area of polygons using the formulas from parallelograms to regular polygons. They then brush up on finding the area and circumference of circles, as well as reviewing...
Flipped Math
Parallelograms and Triangles
Expand area problems to incorporate prior knowledge. Pupils begin by reviewing the formulas for finding the area of parallelograms and triangles. The scholars apply previous learning of trigonometric ratios and the Pythagorean Theorem to...
Flipped Math
Unit 7 Review: Right Triangles
It is all right to spend some time with a review. After watching a short review video covering the materials from the unit, pupils work through 23 review problems. Scholars work on problems involving the Pythagorean Theorem and its...
Flipped Math
Inverse Trig Ratios
Put trigonometric ratios into inverse. Scholars learn how to find an unknown angle in a right triangle by using inverse trigonometric ratios. The pupils understand how the inverses undo a trigonometric ratio to provide the angle measure....
Flipped Math
Pythagorean Theorem and Its Converse
Make sure it is all right in class. Pupils review the Pythagorean Theorem and find sides of right triangles, either by simplifying radicals or using calculators to find approximate lengths. Learners find out how to use the converse to...
University of Colorado
Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
Design a mission over the rainbow. Small groups spend several weeks together determining a mission related to spectroscopy. The teams build spectrographs and analyze the design to determine whether it will carry out the mission. At the...
University of Colorado
Designing an Open Spectrograph
Take the class over the rainbow. Pairs or small groups follow directions to create a spectrograph. The pupils measure the angles formed by the different colors of the spectrum along with calculating the lengths formed by the spectrum and...
Radford University
Remodeling a Home
Get new flooring for as cheap as possible. Given a floor plan of a house, pupils determine the area of each room and the amount of necessary flooring. They then make selections for the flooring in every space, taking a budget into...
Radford University
Pirate Attack
Arr ye matey, it's time for some trig. Learners first read up on the 2010 attack on the USS Nicholas by a group of pirates and the testimony of one of the witnesses. They use right triangle trigonometry to determine if the account is...
Radford University
Finding the Largest Possible Area
If you want a bigger garden, here's a task for you. Given the perimeter of a triangular garden, scholars determine the largest possible area. They then generalize their findings and extend the idea to other polygons.
Radford University
A Day at the Beach!
Make math class feel like a day at the beach (minus all the sunburns, of course). Given information about a pail, a soup can, and a plastic pyramid mold, pupils calculate the volume of sand that can fit in each. They then design sand...
Radford University
Running Laps During Soccer Practice
Which option involves running less? Given a situation in which players can either run around the school soccer field 20 times or run back and forth along the diagonal 20 times, learners decide which option would be better. They consider...
Radford University
Developing a Trigonometry Phone App
What's one more app? After reviewing how to calculate missing side lengths or angle measures in a right triangle, pupils create instructions for a phone app to do all of the tedious work. They must consider all nine cases of known...
Radford University
Rom/Com Final Scene
You haven't seen this scene before, have you? Young mathematicians first review the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometry by completing a worksheet. They then consider several problems involving two people running toward each other in a...
Radford University
Football Tackle Problem
Tackle a task on the gridiron. Scholars use geometric concepts to determine the distance on a coordinate plane that certain football players need to move for a play. They then design their own plays and create presentations where they...
Radford University
Trouble in the Orchard
It's no fun catching a fungus. Scholars first investigate how the seasons affect the angle of the sun and the lengths of shadows. They then apply right triangle trigonometry to determine the height of trees based on their shadows to...