EngageNY
Making Scale Drawings Using the Parallel Method
How many ways can you create a dilation? Many! Individuals strengthen their understanding of dilations by using various methods to create them. The new technique builds on pupils' understanding of the ratio method. Using the ratio,...
Curated OER
Back To the Basics: Measurement
Lead the class in a review of the basic concepts and procedures involved in measuring length, weight, and volume. After whole group instruction, small groups and individuals practice measuring by completing a variety of fun activities...
Curated OER
My Foot and the Standard Foot
Young mathematicians put one foot in front of the other as they learn how to measure length in an elementary math lesson. Using paper cutouts of their own feet, children measure classroom objects as they discover the importance of...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Investigating Similar Triangles
Let your use of the resource be in proportion to its usefulness. Pupils investigate similar triangles by measuring side lengths and considering given angle measures. The results of the investigation help develop generalizations about...
Discovery Education
Weathering Cubes
Weathering is not necessarily a result of the weather. Scholars conduct an experiment to explore the effect of surface area and volume on the weathering process. They create their own sugar cube rocks using the same number of cubes—but...
Curated OER
Exploring Electricity - Four Activities
These are four classic activities used for instructing upper elementary electricians. The first involves experimenting with the Van de Graaff generator. The second is a series of hands-on experiences with static. In the third activity,...
NASA
Cleaning Water
From their sweat to the water vapor in their breath, astronauts recycle every possible drop of water while in space. After watching a short video describing the different ways materials are recycled and reused in space...
Curated OER
When a Ruler is Too Short
Students measure distances using parallax. In this math activity, students explain how this method helped astronomers with their studies of the solar system. They determine the length of their arm using parallax and compare it with other...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (Part I), The Geology of Oil
Junior geologists work through three mini-lessons that familiarize them with the formation and location of fossil fuels. Part one involves reading about petroleum and where it comes from via a thorough set of handouts. A lab activity...
Chicago Children's Museum
Simple Machines: Force and Motion
Get things moving with this elementary science unit on simple machines. Through a series of nine lessons including teacher demonstrations, hands-on activities, and science experiments, young scientists learn about forces, motion,...
University of Georgia
Splat!
What does viscosity have to do with splatter? An activity shows that the viscosity of a substance is inversely proportional to the distance of its splatter. Learners conduct the experiment by collecting data, graphing, and analyzing...
101 Questions
Trashketball
Take a shot using a lesson on volume! Young learners watch a video showing a trashcan filling with paper balls. The task is to calculate the number of paper balls that will fit in the can. Pupils use volume calculations to make a...
Curated OER
Lighting The Way - Activity 1
Learners discover the "rule of thirds" technique used in photography through the investigation of magazine and newspaper pictures and an in-class discussion. The work of photojournalist Jeff Bizzel is emphasized.
Curated OER
Volume and Surface Area, A Sweet Activity
Geometry.... sweet! Using sugar cubes, learners build rectangular prisms of different sizes and shapes. They glue them together and assess volume. Then they color the outer sides to visualize and compute surface area. To make a visceral...
Curated OER
Measuring Activities
Students measure using both metric and standard measures. They convert from one standard to the next while measuring distances in their home or classroom.
BBC
Sorting and Using Materials
First and second graders see that everyday objects are made from a variety of materials. They interact with objects such as keys, plastic spoons, a wooden ruler, a towel, and a plastic bag. A discussion ensues which leads them to...
Curated OER
Mapping a Site Using a Coordinate Plane
Learners map their playground as if it were an archeological site. They locate objects on the playground and determine their location using coordinate points. A related lesson is Coordinate Grid: Mapping an Archeological Site.
Illustrative Mathematics
Who is the Tallest?
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...
Curated OER
The Fall of the Ruler
Middle schoolers determine their reaction time using a ruler. In this Physics lesson, students calculate the class' means and variances. They plot the graph and analyze if there are outliers.
Curated OER
Comparing and Ordering Fractions, Mixed Numbers, and Decimals
Create your own fraction kits by folding and labeling paper using fraction vocabulary. Learners then work in groups to use these in comparing and sequencing both whole numbers and fractions. They also create unit cubes and develop an...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
What Is a Radian?
Here's an algebra II activity that strives to make the concept of a radian less abstract and more conceptual. It takes a hands-on approach to exploring the idea of a radian and allows individuals to develop a definition of a...
California Academy of Science
What's on a Penny?
As a lesson on scientific observation, have your class investigate the features of a penny and a nickel. Working in pairs, they practice writing detailed descriptions using their senses and a ruler to gather information. This is an...
Curated OER
Body Measuring Activity
Students explore geometry by participating in a measurement activity. In this human anatomy lesson, students identify the appropriate methods to measure human body parts and do so in class. Students create a bar graph from their class...
Illustrative Mathematics
Are These Right?
Is that a right triangle or a wrong triangle? Young mathematicians look at eleven different shapes and use a measuring tool of their choice to determine which triangles have right angles. Consider cutting out sets of the shapes to...