Let's start designing a house. Future architects create floor plans for a house given certain constraints. They calculate the area of each room in the house. This is the 11th lesson in a 15-part unit.

What does your perfect house look like? Pupils design a sustainable house given certain specifications. They create concept maps that detail the math skills they need to use while considering their designs.

You don't need to tip-toe around an enlightening resource. Young environmentalists learn about ecological footprints in the fourth lesson of 15. Answering a questionnaire helps them see how their own families and homes affect the...

Lead your class on a search for precious bones. Using a presentation, the class investigates the golden ratio in art and nature. Groups of pupils measure specific bones and find the average ratio for the class. To further cement the...

How many prime numbers are there between 1 and 100? By using a prime time resource, your scholars should be able to answer this question. Using arrays, they determine if numbers are prime or composite, and then write a prime...

Name that statistic! Classmates each write their name and the number of letters in it on a sticky note to place on the board. As a class, they determine the median, mode, and range of the name lengths, and create a dot plot of the data....

It's 268 words, but one only needs to consider 10 of them at a time. A data collection and analysis activity has learners investigate the lengths of words in the Gettysburg Address. They first self-select a sample of 10 words and...

Chew on an activity for probability. Given information on the number of gumballs in a gumball machine, scholars consider how likely it is to randomly draw a blue gumball and how many of each color they would draw in 10 trials if the...

Discover the mean from fair share to the balance point. The instructional activity takes small groups of pupils through two different interpretations of the mean, the fair share understanding of the mean, and the balance point. Scholars...

Launch a great lesson exploring engineering design. Using a template, young scholars create rockets that can be launched from a straw. After analyzing the function of the rocket, pupils try to modify the rocket to enhance its function.

Don't leave your classes in the dark! An inquiry-based lesson has young researchers analyze the light intensity before, during, and after a solar eclipse. They use their data to make inferences about the solar energy available during...

Looking for an out-of-this-world volcanic activity? Geologists study Earth's volcanic history and the neighboring planet Mars by modeling volcanic eruptions, lava flows, and building a shield volcano. Participants use graph paper and...

Calculate the movement and properties of planets like professional astronomers! Scholars use Kepler's third law to find Mercury and Venus's distance from the sun. Using changes in brightness of distant stars and Kepler's third law,...

Changing one aspect of a mission impacts all the others. Learners consider a list of criteria as they develop their own science questions related to Mars and design a solution while considering all the important systems: computer,...

Light, distance, and mathematics come together to help scientists plan for space missions. Groups examine the relationship between distance from the sun and light availability in a hands-on exploration activity. They model the inverse...

Scholars show what they know about data collection and analysis with an activity that examines a smaller population of Houghton, Texas. Independently or in pairs, learners identify their research question, gather, graph, and analyze...

Challenge scholars to plan a vacation with a $5,000 budget. Learners review costs of transportation, meals, and entertainment while considering the number of people and destination. Worksheets provide information and...

Thirty seconds are all scholars have to develop an engaging commercial to showcase their talents and experience within a specific occupation. Pairs work collaboratively to keep each other on time to deliver information speedily and ask...

An activity challenges scholars to make smart money choices. While visiting the California CareerZone website, pupils choose between budgeting for one's lifestyle or salary and complete a two-page worksheet based on the information...

Who needs the daylight to simulate a lunar eclipse? Astronomers model the positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon to explain the necessary conditions for a lunar eclipse. Investigators cut and label a paper plate to represent the Earth and...

Space is about 60 miles from the surface of Earth. Pupils make calculations to model that distance by stacking coins the appropriate height using scale. They then explore the distance to objects in space such as satellites and the space...

Balloons aren't just for parties! An inquiry-based lesson explores the idea of using balloons for space exploration. Learners become engineers as they attempt to control the ascent and descent of a helium balloon using different masses.

Reduce energy consumption and save some money at the same time! The third of seven installments in the A Community Powered by Renewable Energy unit focuses on energy use in the home. Learners investigate the energy needs of small and...

An alien-themed learning game challenges scholars to solve algebraic equations with exponents and variables using multiplication.