Power to the people who understand electricity. A simple experiment teaches pupils how to set up an electric circuit that includes a solar module and how to measure voltage and current using a multimeter. They calculate power and...

Use a triangle area formula that works when the height is unknown. The eighth installment in a 16-part series on trigonometry revisits the trigonometric triangle area formula that previously was shown to work with the acute triangles....

Determine the power hog in the house. Pupils learn the difference between power and energy before participating in a hands-on activity. Using a power meter, pairs measure the actual power used for several household devices, estimate the...

The original drawing is eight units — how big is the scale drawing? Classmates determine the scale percent between a scale drawing and an object to calculate the length of a portion of the object. They use the percent equation to find...

What does an animal's gestation period have to do with its longevity? Use residuals to determine the prediction errors based upon a least-square regression line. This second lesson on residuals shows how to use residuals to create a...

Calculate the areas of scale drawings until a more efficient method emerges. Pupils find the relationship between the scale factor of a scale drawing and the scale of the areas. They determine the scale of the areas is the square of the...

Scholars crave practical application. Let them use the different models of a quadratic function to plan the size and shape of a school playground. They convert between the different forms and maximize area.

Geometry gets an engineering treatment in an exercise involving a belt wrapped around two wheels of different dimensions. Along with the wheels, this belt problem connects concepts of right triangles, tangent lines, arc length, and...

The 23rd segment in a series of 25 presents random samples from two populations to determine whether there is a difference. Groups determine whether they believe there is a difference between the two populations and later use an...

In this mind-bending activity, young engineers explore this question of whether or not light actually bends. Using holographic diffraction gratings, groups design and build a spectrograph. The groups then move on research a problem...

New Horizons began its journey to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, it continues its mission. In that time, scholars have surely grown, but how much more will they grow by the time New Horizons reaches its destination? Find out with an...

What does your class know about GMOs? Are they savvy to selective breeding? Challenge young minds to engineer the greatest crop of all time using a hands-on genetics unit. Learners discover the good and bad details of selective breeding,...

How do you create a residual plot? Work as a class and in small groups through the activity in order to learn how to build a residual plot. The activity builds upon previous learning on calculating residuals and serves as a...

Use tree diagrams with multiple branches to calculate the probabilities of compound events. Pupils use tree diagrams to find the sample space for probability problems and use them to determine the probability of compound events in the...

Cultivate the tree of knowledge using diagrams with two stages. Pupils create small tree diagrams to determine the sample space in compound probability problems. The instructional activity uses only two decision points to introduce tree...

Work it out — find the average time clients spend at a gym. Pupils use a table of random digits to collect a sample of times fitness buffs are working out. The scholars use their random sample to calculate an estimate of the mean of the...

The balance in an account continuously compounding interest is the context of this engaging task. Your young accountants will investigate the ending balance in an account as they compound the interest more and more. Learners write the...

The shape of the histogram is also relative. Learners calculate relative frequencies from frequency tables and create relative frequency histograms. The scholars compare the histograms made from frequencies to those made from relative...

Use a hands-on approach to exploring the concepts of related rates in your AP Calculus class. Individuals explore the effect of the rate of change on a variable related to a variable they control. After analyzing the data they...

So the mean is not always the best center? By working through this exploratory activity, the class comes to realize that depending upon the shape of a distribution, different centers should be chosen. Learners continue to explore...

Help young scientists connect with nature and learn about trees with a fun life science lesson. Heading out into the school yard, children choose a tree to adopt, taking measurements, writing descriptions, and drawing sketches of it in...

Thirsty plants soak up every bit of a rainfall, but what happens to the rain that hits the roof? Calculate the amount of rainwater from your school's roof with an Earth science activity, which brings measurement skills, observation...

Groups simulate an orbit using a piece of string and a water balloon. Individuals spin in a circular path and calculate the balloon's velocity when the clothes pin can no longer hold onto the balloon.

The Henderson-Hasselbalch equation combined logarithmic terms with the application of carbonic acid as a buffer solution. Scholars learn investigate equation and its applications through hands-on experiments. They collect data and...