Next Generation Science Storylines
How Can We Sense so Many Different Sounds from a Distance?
Dive into the mystery of sound waves! Scholars brainstorm questions about how sound travels and why different items make different sounds. They then conduct experiments to answer their questions.
Cornell University
Atomic Bonding
Explore the connection of surface area to bonding within atoms. Learners complete lab investigations to model changing surface area with different sizes and concentrations of atoms. A flour fireball demonstration follows the labs to...
101 Questions
Split Time
Stay on track to learn about proportions. Scholars watch an introductory video that shows the split time for a runner on an outdoor track. Applying concepts of proportional reasoning, they determine what the runner's split time would be...
101 Questions
Pool Capacity
Here's hoping that we can all fit into the pool. Given pictures and dimensions of a pool in tile lengths, scholars decide how many people can fit into the pool. This requires consideration of area, as well as the application of some...
101 Questions
Candle Eyes
Candlelight is in the eye of the distant beholder. Scholars first watch a video clip of a commercial claiming that the human eye can see candlelight from 10 miles away. They use this information to calculate how far we can see...
101 Questions
Woody's Raise
You want to be where everyone gets a raise. A short clip from the TV show Cheers provides the context for the task. After watching an interaction between a bartender and an owner regarding a raise, viewers write inequalities to represent...
101 Questions
Lightning then Thunder
Conquer your fear of thunder and proportions. After viewing a video of lightning and thunder, scholars consider how far away the storm is from the recorder. This obviously requires the use of proportions and rates.
101 Questions
Snail's Pace
Time doesn't fly when you're watching a snail cross a sidewalk. Combining the concepts of the Pythagorean Theorem and the distance, rate, and time formula, learners determine how long it takes a snail to go from one corner of a sidewalk...
101 Questions
Mowing the Lawn
It'll take as long as it'll take. After watching a short video clip of someone moving a lawn as well as a running stopwatch, pupils estimate how long it would take to mow the entire lawn. Provided diagrams show the dimensions of the lawn...
101 Questions
Playing Catch-Up
Run, Rich, run! Learners watch a video clip from the NFL showing Rich Eisen running a 40-yard dash. It then superimposes a video clip of Julio Jones. The task is to determine who would complete the dash first—if Julio Jones runs at half...
101 Questions
Basketball Shots
Shoot for greater understanding of systems. Pupils watch a short video of a man attempting basketball shots, both one-point free throws and two-point field goals. Given the total number of shots and total number of points made, viewers...
101 Questions
Bubble Wrap
Let your lesson pop by using the resource. After watching a video of a man popping a square piece of bubble wrap, young mathematicians determine the time it would take to pop other pieces of bubble wrap with given dimensions. The...
101 Questions
Bed, Bath, and Beyond Coupon
More money for me! Scholars explore two different coupons for Bed Bath & Beyond, one for 20 percent off and one for $5 off an item. Using some concrete examples, they determine conditions for when each coupon would be more beneficial.
101 Questions
Want Some Orange Juice?
Juice up your lessons with an open-ended resource. Scholars must determine how many oranges it takes to fill a container with juice. They use information presented in a video and as images to find the solution.
101 Questions
The Mystery Line
Take the mystery out of linear functions. Provided an image with no scale, learners guess where the line that connects them might cross the y-axis. After providing the coordinates of the points, they realize scale is an important...
101 Questions
Tether Ball
All work and no play makes for a boring classroom! Bring back memories by analyzing the patterns of a tether ball. Given the dimensions of the ball, pole, and rope, young scholars must determine how many times the ball will wrap around...
101 Questions
R2D2 Post-Its
You can't go wrong with Star Wars! A video set to the Star Wars theme song presents a problem solving situation. The task? Determine how many small Post-It notes will fit on a bulletin board. The problem requires individuals to compare...
101 Questions
Nana's Paint Mixup
You would probably do anything for your Nana, including fixing her mistakes! Nana provided the wrong ratio to mix red and white paint, and she didn't realize it until after she mixed the paint. Your class now needs to figure out how to...
101 Questions
Foreign Subway Order
Subway orders are the same in every language, right? An inquiry-based lesson presents a Subway ordering board from an Asian country. Given an order, learners must determine the cost by comparing symbols of the order to the symbols on the...
101 Questions
Coin Carpet
Here's a new meaning to the expression throwing away money...a carpet of coins! An intriguing lesson requires calculations to determine the coin that would be the cheapest option, but it's a little tricky. The cost of the coin changes,...
101 Questions
Neptune
Examine an innovative approach to a large-scale model. Pupils across the state of Maine teamed up to create a model of the solar system that spans 40 miles. Put thinking skills to work within your classes as they make the calculations to...
101 Questions
Amazon Percent Discount
Everyone loves a good sale! A straightforward lesson provides practice with calculating a percent off of a product. Using ads from Amazon, individuals calculate the percent off the ad does not show. Pupils see the answer after revealing...
101 Questions
Gas Station Ripoff
Ever wonder if you can trust the pump that pumps your gas? Budding mathematicians use video evidence to analyze the cost-per-gallon ratio at different intervals for three different pumps. Their goal is to identify the pump that is...
101 Questions
Popcorn Picker
A video and popcorn, just like being at the movies! Given the dimensions of two different cylinders, scholars decide which will hold the most popcorn. They find out if their calculations are correct with the provided solution video.