NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 The Kansas-Nebraska Act
How the Kansas-Nebraska Act created Bleeding Kansas is complicated—until scholars research and examine documents from the time. After completing activities that include mapping, photo, document analysis, and discussion, learners...
Annenberg Foundation
Balancing Sources
Pupils turn into investigative reporters throughout history to learn what it takes to balance different primary sources on the same topic. They use what they learn to create a narrative based on their own interpretation of a historic...
Annenberg Foundation
Analyzing Artifacts
If only a mask could talk! Using the interactive tool along with historical thinking skills, pupils uncover the meaning behind the various materials the resource presents. History becomes more relevant as the artifacts tell their stories...
Concord Consortium
Betweenness V
Take a unique approach to study the graphing of trigonometric functions. Young scholars consider two sine functions and write three functions that will lie between the two given. They use a graphing utility to assist in their explorations.
Concord Consortium
Betweenness IV
Challenge your classes to think between the curves. Given two function formed by the combination of two exponential functions, individuals must write three functions in which all values would lie between the given. The question is...
Concord Consortium
Betweenness III
Don't let a little challenge get between your pupils and their learning! Scholars compare two absolute value functions to recognize patterns and use them to build their own functions with outputs that are between the given. They then...
Concord Consortium
Betweenness II
Read between the curves ... quadratic curves! Young scholars analyze the graphs of two quadratic functions by writing their own function whose outputs are between the two given. They then consider intersecting quadratic functions and...
Mascil Project
Container Logistics
Here's a creative lesson that lets pupils be creative as well! While considering many different factors, learners devise a plan to increase the efficiency of container shipments. The design of the activity encourages creative,...
Project Maths
Introduction to Calculus
Don't let your class's heart rates rise as you introduce them to differentiation ... an inquiry-based instructional activity helps them keep it in check! The second instructional activity in a three-part series asks learners to analyze...
Federal Reserve Bank
Once Upon a Dime: High School Lesson Plan
Who knew that fairy tales and economics go hand-in-hand? Pupils complete a host of handouts, using everything from graphic organizers to short answer questions to reinforce concepts. They also complete a project that builds on everything...
101 Questions
Sacre Coeur Funicular
Rise to the challenge of trigonometry. Watching a video of an ascending funicular at the Sacre Coeur in Paris sets the stage for a challenging task. Young mathematicians use a given diagram, along with the concepts of slope and...
101 Questions
Laying Sod
Lay out a firm understanding of trigonometry. Scholars watch a video recording of a worker laying sod on a lawn. Given the dimensions of each piece of sod and the lawn, they determine how many pieces of sod are necessary. Trigonometry...
101 Questions
Catcher to 2nd
Who's on second? Young mathematicians use a diagram of a baseball field to find the distance a catcher must throw to reach second base. A brief video of such a play during a baseball game sets the stage for the assignment.
101 Questions
Lost in the City with a Clinometer
Come look at trigonometry from a different angle. To begin a simple activity, scholars view a video of someone using a clinometer to find the angle of elevation to the top of a building. They then use a diagram that shows the building's...
101 Questions
The Island Green
The task will fit your needs to a tee. Given pictures and dimensions of a golf green, future golfers determine the distance it would take for a golf ball to land on the green. Of course, we want some mathematical connections, so they...
101 Questions
Best Reflection
Which is the best reflection of them all? Given four diagrams, pupils determine which one shows the most accurate reflection of a quadrilateral. Two images provide the distances of each vertex from the line of reflection, as well as the...
PBS
Taxes—Where Does Your Money Go?
People spend some of their money before they even get it! Lead a lesson that helps scholars understand the different deductions taken from a paycheck. They calculate rates and percentages and learn where the money goes after it leaves...
Project Maths
Integral Calculus
From derivatives to antiderivatives and back again. Building on the second lesson plan of the three-part series covering functions, learners explore the concept of an antiderivative. They connect the concept to the graph of the function...
Project Maths
Introduction to e
First there was pi and now there's e. A discovery-based instructional activity helps learners find a pattern in compound interest as the compounding period changes. Their investigation results in the discovery of the number e. The...
Serendip
Introduction to Osmosis
A chicken egg is a very large cell—perfect for investigating osmosis! Scholars conduct an experiment with vinegar and eggs that helps them understand the process of osmosis. They follow the activity with an in-depth look at osmosis in...
Serendip
Cells as Molecular Factories
Cells are both made of molecules and make molecules all at the same time! An exploratory lesson provides a means for scholars to research the components of cells made of molecules and also investigate the molecule-producing power of...
Serendip
Structure and Function of Cells, Organs and Organ Systems
Cells of different organs have unique cell functions. Learn how cell functions vary depending on their roles in the body using an inquiry-based activity. Scholars analyze the cell structure to make comparisons to its functions, allowing...
Serendip
A Scientific Investigation – What Types of Food Contain Starch and Protein?
You are what you eat, as they say! Are you more starch or more protein? Young scholars use their knowledge of each component to test different foods for their content. Using multiple indicators, individuals describe the protein and...
US Holocaust Museum
Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936
The Olympics are about more than sports—at times, the games are also a place of racism and prejudice! Pupils investigate the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. They analyze the meaning behind the materials included in the United States...