Exactly how fair are the board games children grow up playing? Young mathematicians investigate this questions as they work their way through this five-lesson series on basic probability. 

Young mathematicians construct their own understanding of integers with an inquiry-based math activity. Using colored chips to represent positive and negative numbers, children model a series of addition and subtraction problems as...

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...

Save those precious minutes and hours spent planning math lessons with this mini-unit on telling time. Offering a series of engaging hands-on and collaborative learning activities, these three lessons teach children how to read...

After discussing decimals and "going shopping" in the classroom, young mathematicians are given four practical word problems that require them to estimate their answers, given specific information. The highlight of the lesson...

Take young scholars on a trip through history with this unit on the mathematics and architecture of the Mayan civilization. Starting with a introduction to their base twenty number system and the symbols they used, this eight-lesson unit...

Few things can motivate children to learn like the promise of a sweet and tasty treat. Given a bag of M&M®s, Skittles®, or other colorful candy, students first predict the contents of the bag before counting the pieces,...

Develop young mathematicians' ability to compare fractions with investigation into the number 1/2. After brainstorming a list of fractions equivalent to 1/2, children identify a pattern in the numerators and...

Block play can teach children about gravity, physics, and spatial relationships. A hands-on lesson incorporates these concepts with an activity in which learners examine the relationship between levels in a pile. Scholars begin to...

How accurate are robots? Groups draw lines by moving robots backwards and forwards by one rotation of the wheels. Using the appropriate formula, they determine the percent error in the length of the lines in relation to the calculated...

How can you place a rectangular tile around a pipe? Scholars first use a model of a kitchen sink cabinet to take measurements. Using a compass and their knowledge of circles, they then cut out a circle from a piece of poster board (which...

Cut-and-paste a great activity into your lesson plans. Scholars analyze real-world problems involving proportions. To change things up a bit they cut-and-paste quantities to create a proportion on their way to solving the problems.

Drop a perfect project into your lesson plans. Groups use different building materials to create models of parachutes for food drops. After testing out their prototypes, they make improvements to their designs.

What does dropping a ball look like as a graph? An engaging activity asks learners to record a video of dropping a ball and uploading the video to software for analysis. They compare the position of the ball to time and calculate the...

How do you find the area of an irregular shape? Class members calculate the area of an irregular shape by finding the area of a random sampling of the shape. Individuals then utilize a confidence interval to improve accuracy and use a...

Our final proposal for the cost of the bridge requested is ... In the last segment in a series of 10, pairs work together to develop a proposal for a city bridge design. The class completes a cost comparison between concrete and steel to...

All soil is not created equal! A lab activity asks learners to collect and analyze soil. Specific calculations determine the amount of sand, silt, and clay in a sample and allow individuals to identify the soil texture.