Learners calculate the pixel density of a specific cell phone using the concept of similarity. They use information from the cell phone's website to make their calculations and then compare their results to the posted information.

Challenge your classes while developing their problem-solving skills. A square is divided neatly into four equal triangles by its diagonals until one diagonal is moved from a vertex to the midpoint of one side. Now, scholars must devise...

Don't let your classes get stuck on area calculations—grab their attention with an inquiry-based lesson! Scholars must develop a plan to determine how may sticky notes it takes to cover the surface of a door. They decide on the...

And he's ... safe? ... out? It's up to your scholars to decide! Provided with the speed of the runner and ball, learners develop a plan to determine which reaches the base first, the ball or the runner. While the distance from home to...

Build a solid foundation on which to develop future concepts. Through a guided exploration, learners compare and contrast the characteristics of points, lines, planes, rays, and segments. They measure lengths and practice notation for...

Approach the activity from the right angle. A discussion-based activity leads helps learners understand angles in terms of rotation. Individuals use manipulatives to explore the properties of angles and learn how to name them. The...

It's hard to envision what 39 billion plastic bottles look like. Brita claims that the US uses that number of plastic bottles each year! If that's not enough to get your attention, figure out how many times 39 billion water bottles can...

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...

Sometimes you just need a taco. Young mathematicians investigate two different paths on a beach to get to a taco cart. Completion of the task requires finding distances using the Pythagorean Theorem and considering the different walking...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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.

Learners won't have to dig themselves out of a hole thanks to an insightful video. Using the movie Holes as inspiration, individuals must determine the difference in the number of holes dug when digging with a shorter shovel. Because the...

As the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. Young scholars use a penny activity to earn their way to an understanding of volume. Given three different-sized cylindrical containers, individuals make calculations to determine the...

If cubes have the smallest surface area, why aren't there more cube-shaped packages? Scholars take a box in the shape of a rectangular prism, cut it up, and make new boxes in the shape of cubes with the same volume. They then brainstorm...

Using their knowledge of right triangles, pupils find out how far a ship is from a light house. Class members determine how far around the world a ship would be sailing at a constant speed.

Customers often want ribbon around fancy cakes, but how does a baker know how much ribbon to buy? Scholars view a cake with multiple layers in different geometric shapes. They must figure the perimeter and circumference and add them...

Can you solve it?! A New York City art challenge involves making sculptures from cans. The task is to determine the number of cans used in the engineering award-winning sculpture. Scholars consider the patterns in the different layers to...

Package design is an economic necessity. Young scholars assume the role in an interesting inquiry-based lesson. Given 24 cubic shaped candies to package, they must determine the arrangement that uses the least amount of cardboard to...

Time to find out what they've learned! The final lesson of a five-part series has learners complete a 39-question multiple choice review. They use what they've learned in the previous lessons to complete questions that include concepts...

From polyhedrons to platonic solids, here is a lesson that will have your classes talking! As an introduction to platonic solids, scholars cut and fold nets to create the three-dimensional solids. They use an interactive component to...