Illustrative Mathematics
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
What better way to engage children in a math lesson than by talking about ice cream? Using a pocket chart or piece of chart paper, the class works together creating a bar graph of the their favorite ice cream flavors. Learners then work...
Balanced Assessment
Toilet Graph
Mathematics can model just about anything—so why not simulate the height of water in a toilet bowl? The lesson asks pupils to create a graphical model to describe the relationship of the height of the water as it empties and fills again....
Noyce Foundation
Granny’s Balloon Trip
Take flight with a fun activity focused on graphing data on a coordinate plane. As learners study the data for Granny's hot-air balloon trip, including the time of day and the distance of the balloon from the ground, they practice...
EngageNY
Analyzing a Data Set
Through discussions and journaling, classmates determine methods to associate types of functions with data presented in a table. Small groups then work with examples and exercises to refine their methods and find functions that work...
EngageNY
Interpreting the Graph of a Function
Groups sort through NASA data provided in a graphic to create a graph using uniform units and intervals. Individuals then make connections to the increasing, decreasing, and constant intervals of the graph and relate these...
EngageNY
Graphs of Quadratic Functions
How high is too high for a belly flop? Learners analyze data to model the world record belly flop using a quadratic equation. They create a graph and analyze the key features and apply them to the context of the video.
Illustrative Mathematics
Telling a Story With Graphs
Turn your algebra learners into meteorologists. Learners are given three graphs that contain information about the weather in Santa Rosa, California during the month of February, 2012. Graph one shows temperatures, graph two displays the...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 9: Modeling Data
How many different ways can you model data? Scholars learn several in the final module in a series of nine. Learners model data with dot plots, box plots, histograms, and scatter plots. They also analyze the data based on the data...
Shodor Education Foundation
Multi-Function Data Flyer
Explore different types of functions using an interactive lesson. Learners enter functions and view the accompanying graphs. They can choose to show key features or adjust the scale of the graph.
Balanced Assessment
Cost of Living
Math scholars investigate the cost of living in Hong Kong compared to Chicago but must first convert the different types of currency. They then choose a type of graph to compare different spending categories and finish the activity by...
EngageNY
Nonlinear Models in a Data Context
How well does your garden grow? Model the growth of dahlias with nonlinear functions. In the lesson, scholars build on their understanding of mathematical models with nonlinear models. They look at dahlias growing in compost and...
EngageNY
Distributions and Their Shapes
What can we find out about the data from the way it is shaped? Looking at displays that are familiar from previous grades, the class forms meaningful conjectures based upon the context of the data. The introductory lesson to...
Georgia Department of Education
Math Class
Young analysts use real (provided) data from a class's test scores to practice using statistical tools. Not only do learners calculate measures of center and spread (including mean, median, deviation, and IQ range), but...
EngageNY
Increasing and Decreasing Functions 1
Model situations with graphs. In the fourth installment of a 16-part module, scholars learn to qualitatively analyze graphs of piecewise linear functions in context. They learn to sketch graphs for different situations.
Annenberg Foundation
Skeeters Are Overrunning the World
Skeeters are used to model linear and exponential population growth in a wonderfully organized lesson plan including teachers' and students' notes, an assignment, graphs, tables, and equations. Filled with constant deep-reaching...
Illustrative Mathematics
Who Has the Best Job?
Making money is important to teenagers. It is up to your apprentices to determine how much two wage earners make with their after school jobs. Participants work with a table, an equation, and a graph and compare the two workers to see...
University of Colorado
Spacecraft Speed
Space shuttles traveled around Earth at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, way faster than trains, planes, or automobiles travel! In the 13th installment of 22, groups graph different speeds to show how quickly spacecraft move through...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 4: Linear and Exponential Functions
Sequences and series are traditionally thought of as topics for the pre-calculus or calculus class, when learners are figuring out how to develop limits. But this unit uses patterns and slopes of linear functions in unique ways...
Columbus City Schools
Speed Racers
Who wants to go fast? The answer? Your sixth-grade science superstars! The complete resource offers the ultimate, all-inclusive playbook for mastering the important concepts of speed versus time; distance versus time; and how...
Illustrative Mathematics
Bike Race
A graph not only tells us who won the bike race, but also what happened during the race. Use this resource to help learners understand graphs. The commentary suggests waiting until the end of the year to introduce this topic, but why...
Curated OER
Hand Span and Height
Is there a relationship between hand span width and height? Statisticians survey each other by taking measurements of both. A table that can hold data for 24 individuals is printed onto the worksheet, along with questions for analysis....
EngageNY
Distributions—Center, Shape, and Spread
Data starts to tell a story when it takes shape. Learners describe skewed and symmetric data. They then use the graphs to estimate mean and standard deviation.
EngageNY
Modeling Linear Relationships
Math modeling is made easy with the first installment of a 16-part module that teaches pupils to model real-world situations as linear relationships. They create graphs, tables of values, and equations given verbal descriptions.
EngageNY
Modeling a Context from a Verbal Description (part 1)
When complicated algebraic expressions are involved, it is sometimes easier to use a table or graph to model a context. The exercises in this instructional activity are designed for business applications and require complex...