Use texts and dances to teach inequalities and equations. A sixth-grade unit covers using variables in equations and inequalities to solve problems. Learners show what they know at the end of the unit using two performance tasks, one...

Take a function along for a ride. Given the graph of a roller coaster track, pupils determine key features of the graph such as the maximum, minimum, intervals of increase and decrease, and roots. They figure out the equation of the...

Create rows and rows of vegetables. Pupils use their knowledge of multiplication to find the number of vegetable shoots planted in a garden and ways to arrange the vegetables in the performance task. Teachers use the suggested unit...

Build up a bag of green. Pupils determine the number of green Skittles in a snack bag and come up with a way to determine how many snack bags it would take to create one bag of only green Skittles. Classmates share their methods and...

Where is the best place to work? Small groups map out a kitchen on a coordinate plane and find the centers of the work triangle to find the best place to install an island. The teams use algebraic methods to locate the center by finding...

Make up a story about a linear graph. Scholars identify key features of a linear graph, such as intercepts, domain and range, and slope. They then create a word problem that could be represented by the graphed line.

Model the flight of a ball. Small groups collect time data for how long it takes to toss a ball between two people. The teacher leads a discussion about projectile motion to get the class thinking about how to calculate the equation of...

How high will it fly? Pairs build straw rockets and launch them at different angles and determine the height and horizontal distance of the flight path. Teams make conjectures about how the angle affects the measured distances and use...

How fast does it grow? Scholars work on two tasks dealing with exponential growth, one on population growth and the second on investments. Learners research a country's population over the past century and make predictions of the current...

Mathematically shoot down an incoming missile. Given information about the Cuban Missile Crises, learners calculate the equation of the trajectory of an imaginary missile launched from Cuba toward Washington, D.C. Scholars determine the...

Get to know quadratics from a couple of different perspectives. Classmates work in small groups to determine the optimal cooking time for microwave popcorn. Group members pop bags of popcorn for different times and collect data on the...

Use mathematics to help the football team. Pairs brainstorm how to approach finding a solution to a problem to help the quarterback complete more passes. By researching and collecting data, the teams derive an equation to represent the...

Create a similar blueprint. The differentiated lesson plan has pupils work in teams to create a brochure, scale model, or blueprint of a selected house with some minor changes. Once finished, team members present their final projects to...

Going up and down makes a more exciting ride. Pupils recall what they know about continuity and limits of functions. Working in groups, classmates design a skateboard ramp that meets a given set of criteria, using at least three...

What are some basic features of functions? By looking at functions in graphs, tables, and equations, pupils compare them and find similarities and differences in general features. They use attributes such as intervals of...

Who can afford the computer required to land a summer job? Pupils work in pairs to solve problems related to finding the number of hours needed to work to purchase a given item. Individuals then work on a performance-based assessment to...

Ramp up the study of slope. The class participates in a discussion about the physical aspects of stairs and ramps they encounter. Small groups work together and measure a staircase and corresponding ramp to calculate the slope of each....

Your learners combine their knowledge of real and imaginary numbers and matrices in an activity containing thirty lessons, two assessments (mid-module and end module), and their corresponding rubrics. Centered on complex numbers and...

Small groups analyze the attendance at a movie theater and determine the amount of money made for per show. Team members calculate the number of shows it would take for a theater to make a profit after purchasing a new digital projector....

Pupils research the five most fuel efficient vehicles of the same type and come up with a way to display the mile per gallon for each vehicle. After choosing a vehicle, scholars create graphs to display miles traveled given the amount of...

Can I afford to go to college? Small groups design a method to research college tuition for several years and make a prediction of costs in 2025. Classmates plot the the data on a scatter plot and graph the line of best fit to make their...

An inquiry-based algebra lesson explores real-world applications of linear functions. Scholars investigate four different situations that can be modeled by linear functions, identifying the rate of change, as well as the...

What starts as a basic question of division and remainders quickly turns abstract in this question of related ratios and radii. The class works to surround a central coin with coins of the same and different values, then develops a...

Find the best deal on music. Small groups create playlists of music and determine the cost based on different pricing structures. They determine whether the pricing structure represents a direct or inverse variation relationship by...