EngageNY
Real-World Positive and Negative Numbers and Zero
Class members investigate how positive and negative numbers are useful in the real world. Individuals first read a short passage and identify terms indicating positive and negative numbers. They consider situations involving positive...
CK-12 Foundation
Graphs of Quadratic Functions in Intercept Form: Architectural Bridge Challenge
There are architectural parabolas all around us! A creative lesson analyzes the architecture of a parabolic bridge. Learners must manipulate the bridge to satisfy given criteria and then answer questions about the dimensions of the...
CK-12 Foundation
Scientific Notation: Light Years to Centaurus Constellation
Connect scientific notation to a real-life situation. Measuring distances in our solar system require large numbers. As pupils make conversions using these large numbers, they begin to see the necessity of scientific notation. They...
CK-12 Foundation
Exponential Decay: Cool Sunglasses
Who wouldn't want to wear four pairs of sunglasses? Each pair of sunglasses reduces the percent of incoming light by one-half. An interactive tutorial helps young mathematicians build a graph that models this scenario. They then explore...
CK-12 Foundation
Geometric Sequences and Exponential Functions: Bouncing Ball
Explore a geometric sequence model through a simulation. Learners change the starting drop height of a ball and watch how the heights of following bounces change. They consider the ratio of the consecutive bounces as they analyze the...
CK-12 Foundation
Linear, Exponential, and Quadratic Models: Bernoulli Effect
How can an object as heavy as an airplane fly? Turns out the answer is quadratic! Your classes explore the Bernoulli Effect through an interactive graph representation. As a plane increases in speed, the lift force also increases. Young...
PBL Pathways
Students and Teachers 2
Examine trends in student-to-teacher ratios over time. Building from the first task in the two-part series, classes now explore the pattern of student-to-teacher ratios using a non-linear function. After trying to connect the pattern to...
PBL Pathways
What Should Have Happened on Gilligan's Island?
"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale ..." Gilligan's Island is a classic that spans generations and offers a problem-solving opportunity for scholars. Take a project-based learning approach to examine the population of the island....
PBL Pathways
Maximizing Movie Revenue
Can theaters increase profits by raising or lowering ticket prices? Using data from the National Association of Theater Owners, classes consider this question. The project-based learning activity includes both a profit and revenue...
Virginia Department of Education
Curve of Best Fit
Which function models the data best? Pupils work through several activities to model data with a variety of functions. Individuals begin by reviewing the shapes of the functions and finding functions that will fit plotted data points. By...
Virginia Department of Education
3-D Figures
Scholars construct three-dimensional figures to study dimension and side views. Learners build models using linking cubes to match views of different sides. After practicing with models, they attempt to match three-dimensional drawings...
Intel
What Does This Graph Tell You?
What can math say about natural phenomena? The fifth STEM lesson in this project-based learning series asks collaborative groups to choose a phenomenon of interest and design an experiment to simulate the phenomenon. After collecting...
Virginia Department of Education
Logarithmic Modeling
Explore logarithms and logarithmic regression. Young mathematicians first learn about inverse functions and about the logarithm function family. They take their newfound knowledge to use logarithmic functions to model situations and...
02 x 02 Worksheets
Inverse Variation
Discover an inverse variation pattern. A simple lesson plan design allows learners to explore a nonlinear pattern. Scholars analyze a distance, speed, and time relationship through tables and graphs. Eventually, they write an equation to...
EngageNY
Nonlinear Motion
Investigate nonlinear motion through an analysis using the Pythagorean Theorem. Pupils combine their algebraic and geometric skills in the 24th lesson plan of this 25-part module. Using the Pythagorean Theorem, scholars collect data on...
EngageNY
Average Rate of Change
Learners consider the rate of filling a cone in the 23rd installment of this lesson series. They analyze the volume of the cone at various heights and discover the rate of filling is not constant. The lesson ends with a discussion of...
EngageNY
Truncated Cones
Learners examine objects and find their volumes using geometric formulas in the 21st installment of this 25-part module. Objects take the shape of truncated cones and pyramids, and individuals apply concepts of similar triangles to find...
Mathematics Common Core Toolbox
Golf Balls in Water
Here's a resource that models rising water levels with a linear function. The task contains three parts about the level of water in a cylinder in relationship to the number of golf balls placed in it. Class members analyze the data and...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Modeling Motion: Rolling Cups
Connect the size of a rolling cup to the size of circle it makes. Pupils view videos of cups of different sizes rolling in a circle. Using the videos and additional data, they attempt to determine a relationship between cup measurements...
Illustrative Mathematics
Rainfall
Find the how long it has been raining based upon the amount of rainfall. Scholars analyze a table of the amount of rainfall as a function of time. Pupils first determine whether the function is invertible, then they find and interpret...
Illustrative Mathematics
Hours of Daylight 1
The midline of the mathematical model of the number of hours of sunlight is not 12 hours. Pupils use the modeling cycle to determine a function that will model the number of hours of sunlight at a location of their choosing. Using...
Illustrative Mathematics
Foxes and Rabbits 2
The fox population chases the rabbit population. Groups model the populations of foxes and rabbits with two trigonometric functions. Individuals graph both trigonometric models on the same graph, and then teams determine an explanation...
Illustrative Mathematics
Bank Account Balance
Represent the ups and downs of a bank account. The two-part task points out that some types of graphs may better show discrete functions than others. Pupils analyze a graph on how well it represents the situation. They develop their own...
Illustrative Mathematics
Foxes and Rabbits 3
Model periodic populations. Here, in the context of foxes and rabbits, pupils look at graphs of the populations of these animals in a national park over a span of 24 months. Groups analyze the graphs and determine trigonometric functions...