Which is colder -12 or -18? Temperature is natural real-world application of ordering rational numbers. It's also fun to talk about the lowest recorded temperature on Earth. Take the time to discuss this inquiry with your class. 

What better way to learn about fractions than with a couple pizzas? Help Jessica figure out how much of the pizza she has eaten, while teaching your class that fractions refer to a specific whole amount. This problem will be challenging...

Conquer any irrational fears you might have of irrational numbers. As class members investigate how to represent numbers geometrically, they learn about rational and irrational numbers, including approximating and ordering rational...

Classmates apply midpoint concepts by leapfrogging around the complex plane. The 12th lesson in a 32 segment unit, asks pupils to apply distances and midpoints in relationship to two complex numbers. The class develops a formula to find...

Mental math strategies are important for fifth graders to be able to determine the greater sum without actually solving the equations. As a summative assessment, this eight-problem activity can give insight into the understanding of the...

A simple question, with a not-so-simple answer. Working with whole and mixed number measurements in inches, feet, and yards presents a problem with many possible solutions. A great activity that challenges the minds of young...

Hooray for chocolate chip cookies! Ask your mathematicians to triple a chocolate chip cookie recipe and then reduce the recipe by one-fourth. Your class may need two days to complete, tripling the recipe the first day and reducing the...

Just because one integer is larger than another doesn't mean it will make sense right away. Go beyond note taking and show learners, through the use of algebra tiles and a Four-Pan Algebra Balance, how the numbers relate to one...

This one problem concentrates on the important concept of dividing a whole number by a unit fraction. Here, young mathematicians use pictures they draw to help answer this problem. Insight into the connection between multiplication and...

It's more than just numbers on a line, its an organizational, mental math machine to help learners understand the value of numbers. The tool is handy when introducing positive and negative integers to see their values and...

Young mathematicians dive into the number line to discover decimals and how the numbers infinitely get smaller in between. They click the zoom button a few times and learn that the number line doesn't just stop at integers. Includes...

How can 5th graders show understanding that 30 x 225 is half of 60 x 225 without completing the computation? They can use an area model and draw it out. An array, or an open array, is an area model that allows for young learners to...

Challenge your class to construct a definition for trapezoids. Looking at four examples and four non-examples, students individually create definitions and use them to classify an unknown shape. Allow for small group and whole-class...

Determine the level of understanding of decimal and fraction values within your classes with a resource that provides pupils with opportunities to practice with decimal and fraction concepts. 

Build a solid understanding of rational number relationships by asking class members to use various skills to order decimals, fractions, and numeric power expressions. Using the resource, they find that the fractions do not have an...

Unravel the mystery behind the infamous number pi. Scholars complete a series of activities that explores where pi comes from, its digits and estimation strategies. Pupils should be ready to measure, calculate, and look for patterns to...

Cats can't add, but they do multiply! Determine the number of descendants of a single cat given specific facts about cats and kittens. The lesson plan focuses on developing strategies for problem solving using both individual and group...

Grab your hiking gear and get ready for a math adventure! Learners explore the meaning of percent grade change, as compared to the slope in an excellent activity activity about hiking trails in the mountains of New Hampshire. They...

Obesity is a worldwide concern. Using survey results, learners compare local BMI statistics to celebrity BMI statistics. Scholars create box plots of the data, make observations about the shape and spread of the data, and examine the...

The real value of education is highlighted in more than one way on a instructional activity designed to not only add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths, but also to address the correlation between...

Plants never grow at the same rate, and that is the antithesis for this word problem involving multiplication of fractions. On the worksheet, Raul notices that Pablo's seedlings are 1 1/2 times as tall, and Celina's seedlings are 3/4 as...

Transform your scholars into mathematicians as they develop their own geometric definition. The task asks individuals to compare cylindrical objects and create a definition for the disc-ness of each object. They may use any method and...

If the fractions don't have a common denominator, make them have one. Learners first read and analyze a conversation of pupils trying to add 2/5 and 1/2. They compare the process of adding fractions to the process of adding quantities...

Tune in for savings! Scholars investigate pricing schemes for two different online music download sites. After comparing the two, they determine the numbers of songs for which each site would be cheaper.