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Performance
Radford University

Body Measurement Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Don't keep the resource at an arm's length. A hands-on activity has scholars measure the heights, arm spans, hair lengths, and foot lengths of their classmates. They create scatter plots to determine if there is a correlation between...
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Performance
Radford University

Modeling the Number of Starbucks Stores

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Drink your coffee, then marvel over the rise of Starbucks. Scholars use provided data on the number of Starbucks stores from 1987 through 2014 to create scatter plots. They then determine the equation for the curve that best fits the...
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Performance
Radford University

Temperature Math Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Warm up to a vacation-finding activity. After choosing a location for a vacation, pupils research the average monthly temperatures for the locality. They create scatter plots of the data and then determine the equations of the best-fit...
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Performance
Radford University

Maximizing Light Through a Window

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Let there be plenty of light. For a perimeter of 10 feet, scholars determine the maximum area of a window composed of a rectangle and a semicircle. They draw diagrams and then write and solve equations to find the height and radius for...
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Performance
Radford University

Connecting Scatter Plots and Correlation Coefficients Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Collect a variety of bivariate data. Groups determine sets of data that would provide a positive, negative, and no correlation. Team members gather their data through out the week. Scholars plot the data and determine the relationship...
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Lesson Plan
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Ecological Mismatches

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Modeling is a powerful teaching tool. The final installment in a six-part series has pupils complete an activity to model a food web and discover the interconnected relationships in an ecosystem. They then read about changes in migratory...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Chicago Botanic Garden

Plant Phenology Data Analysis

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Studying data over time can paint a pretty interesting picture. Learners use data they collected in the previous lesson to compare to historical data in a similar region. They graph the data of the first bloom of a specific species over...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Chicago Botanic Garden

Seasons of a Plant

For Students 5th - 6th Standards
Reading the cues from nature can be as much an art as a science. The second installment in a six-part unit on climate teaches learners that environmental and biological events have significance. They first learn the difference between...
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Unit Plan
George Watts Montessori

Upper Elementary Lessons for Classroom and Garden

For Teachers 7th - 8th Standards
Plant knowledge by doing to create long-lasting results. Creating a school garden gives young scholars the opportunity to study several science topics. By working through the unit of 16 lessons, pupils use their gardens to complete...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Watershed Web: A Field Trip

For Teachers K - 8th
Observing plant succession doesn't have to be a decade long process. A hands-on lesson has groups study succession over a designated space. Learners use their observation skills to record differences in plant and soil characteristics in...
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Unit Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Night Friends - American Bats

For Teachers K - 8th
Bats are a misunderstood species. Pupils learn about the characteristics of bats in a three-part lesson. They begin by examining the adaptations of different types of bats, then explore the misconceptions humans have about the species....
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

How Do You Feel About Water?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Less than one percent of the water on Earth is usable in people's homes. As pupils consider this fact, they reflect on their own water usage before designing a survey to collect information on water usage by others. They then analyze...
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Danger from Afar: Non-Point Source Pollution and the Lake Superior Basin

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
How prevalent is pollution in the water system? A hands-on activity focuses on one area that is prone to pollution. Learners use game chips to represent clean water and polluted water and complete an activity that demonstrates how...
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Performance
Radford University

Can I Create a Line/Curve of Best Fit to Model Water Drainage?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Learners collect data on the amount of water left in a bottle over time. They graph the data to determine whether the scatter plot shows a curved or straight relationship. Group members then determine an equation for the curve of best...
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Performance
Radford University

Pizza, Pizza!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Ponder the problem of pizza prices. Pupils use provided information about two different pricing schedules for pizza. They create tables of values and functions to represent the pricing schemes, consider domain restrictions, and identify...
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Performance
Radford University

Regression Analysis Activity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Don't let your knowledge of regression analysis regress. Pupils take part in three activities to learn about regression curves. They research and collect data to predict how long it will take a basketball to hit the ground, find a...
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Performance
Radford University

Confetti Task

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Using the net of a can, learners develop formulas for the surface area and volume of a cylinder. They then apply their formulas to solve problems about a cylindrical container used to disperse confetti.
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Performance
Radford University

How Do I Design a Raised Bed Garden to Accommodate My Plants?

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Give plants the best place to grow. Given constraints on plant spacing, pupils design a raised bed garden using graph paper, then calculate the perimeter, surface area, and volume. They use the provided costs of lumber and soil to...
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Performance
Radford University

Choosing the Best Cylinders

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Don't be fooled: the taller glass doesn't always hold the most. Given the dimensions of different cylindrical containers for beverages and popcorn, pupils calculate the volumes. They see how changing the dimensions affects the volume and...
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Performance
Radford University

Lemonade Business - Investigating Surface Area and Volume of Containers

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Boost lemonade sales by using the perfect container. For a given volume, future entrepreneurs design a container that will have the least surface area and by extension, the least cost of material. They create a two-dimensional net of...
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Performance
Radford University

Triangle Inequality Task

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Not all triangles are created equal. A simple hands-on activity has learners investigate the side lengths of triangles. They use pipe cleaners to determine whether triangles of given side lengths can exist and then use the results to...
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Performance
Radford University

Escape from the Zombie Apocalypse - Exploring Quadrilaterals through Google Maps and Google Earth

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Prepare for the zombie apocalypse ... by studying quadrilaterals? Given a map of an imaginary town, scholars identify quadrilaterals created by streets. They then use Google Earth and Google Maps to find parallelograms, rectangles,...
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Performance
Radford University

Where Should We Sit?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Where's the best seat in the house? Given a diagram of a movie theater, pupils determine the best seats based on the viewing angle. They use inscribed angles to justify their choices.
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Performance
Radford University

Marking Starting Locations for the 400-Meter Dash Track and Field Event

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
No fair! I had to run more than they did! Young mathematicians first measure various lengths on a school track. They develop strategies and show calculations to prove that all participants will run the same length using a staggered...