Discover the scale factor by finding the constant of proportionality. Pupils investigate drawings to determine whether the distances are proportional. The activity defines the scale factor as the constant of proportionality, or unit...

Pupils determine scale factors from one figure to another and the scale factor in the reverse direction. Scholars compute the percent changes between three figures. 

Scholars build upon their knowledge of scale drawings by using percents to represent the scale factor. Individuals work with scaling in vertical, horizontal, and both directions.

Class members take scale drawings and examine scales to determine distances in the actual objects. Pupils convert the scales of different units to scale factors that can be used in proportional equations.

Square the scale factor when working with scaled drawings and area. The 19th lesson in a series of 22 introduces calculating actual areas from scale drawings. The lesson encourages pupils to use the square of the scale factor to find the...

Classmates create a scale drawing from another scale drawing, changing the scale in the process. Groups enlarge or reduce the scale of the drawing and discuss their processes.

Reflect on altering scale factors. The last lesson in the series of 22 has the class compare the two scale drawings they created. They realize that the scale drawing becomes a scale drawing of each other. Class members continue to work...

Enlargements and reductions are all about scale. The lesson introduces scale drawing to the class. Pupils determine whether the drawing is a reduction or an enlargement, and the constant of proportionality between the original and the...

Creating a solar system map is a snap thanks to a hands-on activity! Science scholars explore the solar system by building it wherever they choose during an interactive from PBS's Space series. Users pick both the location and scale for...

Determine how far the ball rolled. The class watches a video of a person controlling a sphere rolling on the floor. Pupils develop some questions about the video and make estimates to the solutions of the questions. The teacher provides...

Inventor, astronomer, surveyor, mathematician, clock maker. Learners celebrate the life of Benjamin Banneker by building creative analog clocks, making scale models, and solving problems related to surveying. The activities model the...

Students measure various dimensions of a male and a female dolls body and scale them proportionally to average human measurements. They calculate the appropriate scale factor (magnitude) to enlarge their doll and apply that scale factor...

Double the dimensions, quadruple the surface area. Pairs build similar prisms and compare the ratios of their surface areas and volumes to the ratio of the heights. Given two similar cones, partners determine the ratios of the lateral...

Determine whether two triangles are similar. The lesson presents opportunities for pupils to find the criterion needed to show that two triangles are similar. Scholars use the definition of similarity to find any missing side...

The coal is mined. Now what? Scholars design a coal silo that stores mined earth using at least two different three-dimensional shapes. They calculate the volume, determine the amount of mined earth produced in a day, and find the amount...

Students build a working definition of a regular fractal, they measure the concepts of dimensions and scale, they explore the concept of a logarithm and they attempt to solve simple exponential equations for the exponent both by trial...