Concord Consortium
Build a Box
Strive for gold with an informative resource. A short task challenges learners to investigate the thickness of a box made from a given volume of gold. The box must have specific dimensions, so setting up and solving a literal equation is...
Concord Consortium
Writing and Sketching II
Find the function that fits. Scholars first identify the graph of a function that looks the same after a horizontal translation. They must then find the equation of a function whose graph lies only in two adjacent quadrants.
Concord Consortium
Writing and Sketching I
Writing and sketching functions—what more could you want to do? Learners write and sketch functions that meet certain conditions as they complete a short task. They find a parabola that encompasses three quadrants of the coordinate plane...
5280 Math
Step by Step
One step at a time! A seemingly linear relationship becomes an entirely new type of function. Young scholars build their understanding of step functions by completing a three-stage activity that incorporates multiple representations of...
Mascil Project
Closed Greenhouses
Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...
Mascil Project
Teaching Geometry Through Play
Puzzle your way through to a new understanding of area. Scholars learn about the area of polygons through equidecomposability, the idea that polygons that can be decomposed into the same set of pieces have the same area. By using...
Concord Consortium
The Six Faces of Amzora
Here's a task that is out of this world! Given a description of a fictional cube-shaped planet, scholars answer a set of questions about the planet. They create a two-dimensional map and consider the distances between locations on the map.
Concord Consortium
Three Circles
Round and round and round we go. Given a diagram of three circles, two of which share a point with the third circle, learners identify the radius of each circle. Doing so requires setting up and solving a system of equations based on the...
Concord Consortium
Track of Dreams
Don't run from the resource—sprint to it. Using an engaging performance task, scholars consider a set of constraints on the creation of a track. Given several possible designs, they determine if the designs meet the constraints. If not,...
Concord Consortium
Transformations Resource
Transform your lesson for transforming functions. Scholars transform linear, quadratic, exponential, rational, and trigonometric expressions. They write their expressions to fit specific forms and identify the values of the resulting...
Concord Consortium
Transformations-Diagnostic
Change the way you teach about rewriting expressions. A diagnostic task asks learners to transform expressions in different ways. Given two linear expressions and two quadratic expressions, they rewrite them into the indicated forms.
Concord Consortium
Triangles: Angle Space
Three angles in a triangle, three-dimensional space, it all seems connected somehow. Given several different triangles, pupils use the three angles of the triangle as coordinates to plot points in three-dimensional space. They explore...
Concord Consortium
Twinkle, Twinkle
Take a look at a star resource. Young mathematicians use a graphing calculator to draw intersecting lines that look like a star. They then apply translations to move the entire star and also consider what transformations must occur to...
Concord Consortium
Yearbook Pictures
Sorting memories doesn't have to be difficult. Young mathematicians evaluate two different methods of sorting yearbook pictures. They answer a set of questions to explore each method, then develop their own sorting procedure based on...
Concord Consortium
You Are What You Drive
Grab the wheel in learning about functions. A short performance task challenges young mathematicians to develop a function that describes the cars eight people drive. They consider whether the inverse of the function exists. If not, they...
Concord Consortium
Zero Coupon Bond
There are zero reasons not to learn about zero coupon bonds. Given information about the interest rate and closing price of a zero coupon bond, future investors determine the purchase price of the bond. They then consider the...
Concord Consortium
Two Pounds to Go
How hard can it be to measure out two pounds? A short performance task introduces a situation where a balance scale is broken. It gives a method for measuring out two pounds and asks learners to evaluate the procedure. They must prove...
Concord Consortium
Vending Machine
Let the resource quench your thirst for knowledge, like a vending machine that dispenses drinks. Future computer scientists develop an algorithm to identify the fewest number of coins that a vending machine could use in creating change....
Concord Consortium
Walled-Up Parabolas
Jump at the chance to use parabolas. Young mathematicians apply trigonometry to explore the trajectory of a ball in different situations. Some walls cause the ball to bounce, so participants must consider all possibilities.
Mascil Project
Parachute Food Drop
Drop a perfect project into your lesson plans. Groups use different building materials to create models of parachutes for food drops. After testing out their prototypes, they make improvements to their designs.
American Statistical Association
Confidence in Salaries in Petroleum Engineering
Just how confident can we be with statistics calculated from a sample? Learners take this into account as they look at data from a sample of petroleum engineer salaries. They analyze the effect sample size has on a margin of error and...
American Statistical Association
More Confidence in Salaries in Petroleum Engineering
Making inferences isn't an exact science. Using data about salaries, learners investigate the accuracy of their inferences. Their analyses includes simulations and randomization tests as well as population means.
American Statistical Association
Chunk it!
Chunking information helps you remember that information longer. A hands-on activity tests this theory by having learners collect and analyze their own data. Following their conclusions, they conduct randomization simulations to test...
Statistics Education Web
Which Hand Rules?
Reaction rates vary between your dominant and nondominant hand ... or do they? Young scholars conduct an experiment collecting data to answer just that. After collecting data, they calculate the p-value to determine if the difference is...