Open Oregon Educational Resources
Forest Measurements: An Applied Approach
Geometry—it's not just for the math classroom! Learners explore the field of forestry through a mathematical lens. An instructional resource explains how forest workers collect data about trees such as height, diameter, and age...
Big Kid Science
Measuring Shadows Using an Ancient Method
How did ancient peoples determine the height of really tall objects? Young scientists and mathematicians explore the concept of using shadows to measure height in a hands-on experiment. Paired pupils measure shadows, then calculate the...
Curated OER
Measuring the Earth
High schoolers use principles of geometry to measure the circumference of the Earth. For this applied geometry lesson, students use mathematics to determine scientific information. They make measurements, calculate the central...
Captain Planet Foundation
Frog Garden Party! Toads and Triangles in the Math Garden
It's frog party time! With frog banners, frog juice, and a triangle hunt, your garden party is sure to be both entertaining and educational. The lesson connects geometry, earth science, and delicious snacks to teach kids about ecosystems...
Space Awareness
Measure the Solar Diameter
Scientists could measure the diameter of the sun before they knew its distance. Scholars construct a simple mirror box to measure the diameter for themselves. They compare this measurement with the official size, listed in a...
Space Awareness
Making A Sundial
Can people really measure time just by using the sun? Scholars venture outside on a nice, sunny day to build sundials and learn how people measured time 600 years ago. The class builds two different sundials while gaining practice with...
Curated OER
Small Angle Calculations
Students work with circles, angles and estimating angles in the night sky. In this circles and angles lesson, students practice measuring a degree using the circumference of a circle and apply the degree to determine a way to use their...
Curated OER
My Angle on Cooling
Students explore how the angle and distance of an object can change it's temperature. After reviewing how the position of the Earth affects the temperature of the planet, student groups design and perform an experiment to test how...
Curated OER
Symmetry in Paper Airplanes
Young scholars explore symmetry. In this geometry and scientific inquiry lesson, students design paper airplanes with middle line symmetry, as well as right, obtuse, and acute angles. Young scholars measure the plane's angles...
Curated OER
Mr. Bo Jangle, What's Your Angle?
Third graders explore angles. In this geometry lesson plan, 3rd graders identify and define acute, obtuse, and right angles. Students form angles with their bodies, find angles in picture books, and record angles found outside in their...
Curated OER
New Angle on Forest Ecology
Learners measure and calculate the angle of the sun. They compare the leaf types on the north and south to compare the effects of the sun on the type of vegetation. They complete the activities inside the classroom or on a trip to a...
Curated OER
Measuring Temperatures
Fourth graders participate in a teacher-led discussion about temperature--hot and cold. Each group of students is assigned specific materials for their lab experiment. They record temperatures measured in their journals and then plot...
Curated OER
How Tall is that Tree?
Learners use their feet to measure distance between themselves and a tree trunk. In this distance lesson, students use the number of steps, and string to measure distances and height of the tree. Learners can get the tree...
Curated OER
Reflection of Light
Students experiment with reflections of two plane mirrors placed at a 90 degree angle to see what will be reflected.
Curated OER
How Big is the Playground: Creating a Map
Students create a topographical map of an area outside of the school. In this mapping instructional activity, students compile data on angles, distances, and key landmarks for a predetermined area on the school grounds to create a map...
Curated OER
Mirror Symmetry/Mirror Images
Students explore lines of symmetry in geometric shapes. In this geometry lesson, students construct angles using mirrors and rubberbands, then predict the number of images that will appear in the reflection. Students reproduce lines of...
Curated OER
"How Much?" Contest - Measurement
Students work with measurements of length, area, and volume capacity of a liquid. They watch a teacher demonstration of both English and metric units before they estimate and take actual measurements of assigned items a three different...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Cosmic Measurements
Students develop two units of measurement to relate to the astronomical unit and the light year. In this astronomy lesson, students use a Twizzler to develop a measurement unit similar to the astronomical unit. They use a moving object,...
Curated OER
Water to the Max
Students experiment with the angle that yields the greatest distance of water at constant pressure. In this experiment with the angle that yields the greatest distance of water at constant pressure instructional activity, students...
Weber State University
The Sun and the Seasons
Why is there more daylight in June than in December if you live above the equator? How does the angle of sunlight shift throughout the year? Answer these questions and more with an interactive article about the sun, its path through the...
Curated OER
The North (Wall) Star
Students engage in a instructional activity which shows them that celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial...
Teach Engineering
Edible Rovers (High School)
Design and build a rover ... then eat it? This activity has groups of two design and build Mars rovers. The teams determine what instruments they want to include with their rover and plan a budget. They calculate the cost of the body of...
Curated OER
Vector Lab
Here is a math lab that helps young mathematicians understand the real-life meaning for vector addition. By building a model using spring scales and washers as weight, and then calculating the vector addition using two different methods,...
Curated OER
When a Ruler is Too Short
Young scholars measure distances using parallax. In this math lesson, 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...