What a wonderful resource! Learners create two-dimensional shapes according to the instructions stated, use the squares to make a triangular prism, a cube, and a pyramid, and identify features of plane shapes, among a myriad of other...

Your class will use a set scale to convert diameters of planets to the model size, the diagram given to expand on the number of planets drawn as concentric circles, and examine the scale that would be needed to fit the larger...

What does it mean to be financially responsible? Develop a working definition of financial literacy with your classes. Using six scenarios, learners debate financially literate actions and develop a definition based on their decisions.

Traditions, like the times, are a-changin'. Middle schoolers conduct a close reading of Richard Blanco's poem "América" and consider how Blanco's family approached his suggestions for adopting a new approach to their Thanksgiving meal.

How did the chicken travel down the road? Given a picture of a chicken truck, class members brainstorm what information they need to determine the total number of chickens on the truck. Pupils research for the information and devise a...

How do you handle common mistakes in your classroom? A graphing activity prepares scholars to recognize common misconceptions when graphing ordered pairs. The activity concentrates on three common graphing mistakes.

It's a small world after all. Classmates consider world population, languages, and religions in a cross-curricular lesson plan. Applying percentages and proportions, they determine what the class make-up would be if the class represented...

We can't build our dream house yet, but we can definitely build a model. Scholars use floor plans to build models of their dream homes. Cardboard is as good as any material for this purpose.

Be sure you have enough money to build a house. The 14th lesson in a 15-part series teaches young learners to use checkbook registers. They write checks for the amounts they spend on various housing materials and keep track of...

A solid foundation is important for all things—especially houses. Learners research different materials for foundations based on environmental impact and cost. They decide whether concrete, insulated concrete, or wood would be best for...

Designing a deck sure demands a lot of math. Future engineers and architects learn about the areas and perimeters of squares, rectangles, triangles, and composite figures. They apply their new knowledge to design a deck with a specified...

E is for economics, environment, and social equity. The fifth installment of a 15-part series has scholars first considering ecological impacts, such as determining how much water it takes to produce a can of soda. They then use decision...

How can you fit an entire school on one sheet of paper? You use scale! Scholars measure rooms in the school and, using the correct scale, design a floor plan that includes area calculations with their data.

Behind all good design and construction lies a perfect set of plans that are created by a person who knows his, or her, math! Youngsters practice using one of the key tools of the draftsman, the ruler, to practice measuring...

Finally, the final floor plan. The 11th installment of a 15-part series looks at floor plans for houses. Scholars try their hand at creating a scale drawing for the floor plan of their dream houses.

When designing a house, it's important to know about percents. Through a series of three lessons, scholars first review percentages through an activity involving M&Ms and then apply that knowledge to calculate compound interest and...

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 plan of 15. Answering a questionnaire helps them see how their own families and homes affect the...

Class members consider how people steal online identities as they discover the essential elements of identity theft and consumer fraud. Pupils demonstrate learning by creating a poster or video about how to avoid identity theft. 

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...

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...

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

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.