Illustrative Mathematics
Rectangle Perimeter 2
While this activity is centered around expressions that represent the perimeter of a rectangle, it also hits at the fundamental concept of equivalent expressions, simplifing expressions, and like-terms. Classmates express their...
Illustrative Mathematics
Anna in D.C.
The amount of tax and tip on a restaurant bill is a common example used in percent problems. Here, learners only know the total amount paid, and they need to figure the itemized amounts. Solutions using a ratio table, using knowledge of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Morning Walk
Sometimes young algebra learners don't understand why they need to create an equation when they can just figure out the answer with it. This activity tries to encourage creating simple equations by balancing the use of more complicated...
Curated OER
Bird and Dog Race
Your pupil's pet dog and bird are racing down the city streets. In order to know who is going to win, they better know something about calculating rates, the Pythagorean Theorem, and applying those topics to the map of the city.
Weather Bug
WeatherBug
Exploring the weather has never been more intriguing! Whether you are looking for a quick glance at the 10-day forecast, trying to figure out if lightning is heading your way, or wondering what the pollen count is, you will find out...
Q Continuum
Planets
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what constellation you were seeing or whether that bright object was a star or a planet? Are you searching for the best tilt-to-view constellation and planet app that money can't buy?...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
3D Brain
Imagine being able to rotate the brain and view interior structures without dissection! This tool allows anatomy masters to do just that. They also learn about the associated functions, disorders, and symptoms of damage to each structure.
Curated OER
Is This a Rectangle?
How do you show that something is a rectangle? This activity starts with four coordinate points and asks young geometers to explain whether they create a rectangle. Knowledge from both geometry and algebra come into play here, as well...
Curated OER
T Points from Directions
Here is a activity that starts with having geometers translate points using compass directions into an accurate picture of the problem. Then they must use their knowledge of the Pythagorean theorem or similar triangles to solve. This...
TOPS Learning Systems
PI in the SKY
What is pi anyway? After this set of activities, your pupils should have multiple answers to this question. Investigate pi with various experiments and discoveries. Calculate the ratio circumference/diameter for different sized circles....
Yummy Math
Playing with my calculator on the 4th of July
This fun activity guides learners through an exploration of the effects of replacing f(x) with -f(x), f(x) + c, k f(x), and f(x + c). Using graphing calculators, students experiment with variations of the graph of y = x^2 to design a...
Illustrative Mathematics
Throwing Baseballs
This is a wonderful exercise for learners to apply their critical thinking skills along with their knowledge of quadratic functions and parabolas. Young mathematicians investigate a real-world scenario about the height a baseball reaches...
Yummy Math
Steep Hikes
Grab your hiking gear and get ready for a math adventure! Learners explore the meaning of percent grade change, as compared to the slope in an excellent worksheet activity about hiking trails in the mountains of New Hampshire. They use...
Curated OER
Tilted Earth
What causes Earth's seasons? Find out through a series of anticipatory questions, an easy yet powerful activity representing the sun-Earth system, a diagram to label, and follow-up questions. Dispel the misconceptions about Earth being...
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...
Mr Gym
Square Dance
Great instructional activity on teaching some of the basics of square dancing. Ten basic moves are listed and described. The descriptions of these square dance moves are clearly explained. There are several pictures to show what a few of...
Mr Gym
Hit and Switch
This activity sounds like a great warm-up or drill for your volleyball players. All the players start on one side of a line, once they bump the ball to another player, they cross the line and wait. The goal is to bump the ball to players...
AMCO
Whimsical Figures
Clay is a wonderful and expressive medium for learners of any age. Kids get creative as they make whimsical figures out of clay. A hyperlinked materials list, images of each step in the process, and helpful tips makes this a great art...
Poetry Out Loud
Creating "Golden Shovel" Poems
Get even your most reluctant pupils reading, writing, reciting, and maybe even enjoying poetry! A four day instructional activity, young writers learn about Golden Shovel poems: a poem format that uses borrowed words from other poems as...
California Academy of Science
Academy Seafood Market and Fishery
What fishing method is the most sustainable? Find out through a fun, but meaningful game in which your little fishermen use different techniques to see what they catch. After the fishing activity is over, there are several discussion...
Curated OER
Pocket Solar System
The scale of the solar system is difficult to grasp without some sort of concrete visual; with some register tape and different-sized stickers, teach astronomers of any age just how spread out our solar system really is. Try to use...
Illustrative Mathematics
Sugar in Six Cans of Soda
Understanding how to multiply a whole number by a fraction is the key concept. Young mathematicians create a visual model of this real-world example and find the solution. Extensions are possible for making this an even richer activity....
Illustrative Mathematics
Running Laps
If you run more laps, did you run further? Well, it depends. If the laps are different lengths, you need to do some math to answer that question. The goal of this task to is compare two fractions. Young learners represent the real-world...
Illustrative Mathematics
Locating Fractions Less than One on the Number Line
Understanding where to place a fraction on a number line is key to understanding fractions as numbers. This activity focuses on locating fractions less than one. Learners need to partition the line into the correct number of equal sized...