University of California
Energy and Biomass Pyramids
Young scientists play tag as they act out the food pyramid in the ocean ecosystem. Energy circles pass from the smaller prey to the predators and at the end of the activity, a data chart and analysis questions allow pupils to apply their...
Teach Engineering
Electromagnetic Radiation
How can nanoparticles be used in the battle against skin cancer. Class members take on the question as they gather information about electromagnetic radiation, specifically ultraviolet radiation. Pupils learn about the mathematical...
Balanced Assessment
Fermi Area
Discover creative ways to use surface area formulas. In the assessment task, scholars apply estimation strategies to determine surface area in non-routine problems. They consider surface area of kitchen sponges, rock salt crystals, and...
Federal Reserve Bank
Expense Tracking
Where does all your money go? Individuals keep a record of the money they spend over the course of 30 days. They then categorize where they are spending their money and write an essay detailing their findings.
Balanced Assessment
Curvy-Ness
Curves ahead! Develop a numerical measurement of curvy-ness. The class is challenged to come up with a definition of curvy that can be applied to curves. The class members use their defined measurement to describe a curve.
Balanced Assessment
Bouncing Off the Walls
Apply geometry concepts to improve your pool game! Here scholars create the perfect bank shot using angles of incidence and refraction. They create three different options for the same shot.
Balanced Assessment
Oil Consumption
An assessment presents a chart displaying oil consumption Pupils use the chart to determine the greatest increase in consumption, and then apply that information to figure out when the consumption may reach 100 million barrels a day.
Balanced Assessment
Mirror, Mirror II
Apply the concept of similar triangles to design a space in a room. Scholars use similar triangles to determine how a spotlight reflects from a mirror. After drawing the path of the spotlight, individuals find the smallest possible width...
Virginia Department of Education
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Introduce pupils to the two types of reasoning, inductive and deductive. Classmates work in pairs or small groups to learn the difference between the two and apply these reasonings to develop valid conclusions.
PBL Pathways
Students and Teachers
Predict the future of education through a mathematical analysis. Using a project-based learning strategy, classes examine the pattern of student-to-teacher ratios over a period of years. Provided with the relevant data, learners create a...
Teach Engineering
Chair Design
Can you design the perfect chair? Scholars apply the engineering design process to design and build a prototype of a new type of chair from wires. They test their designs with a wooden artist model or stuffed animal.
Space Awareness
Where on Earth Am I?
Almost every phone has GPS installed, but a large number of teens don't know how the technology works. An initial activity illustrates how GPS determines a location on Earth. Scholars then apply trilateration procedures to a...
Massachusetts Department of Education
Nostalgia
To prepare for crafting their own memoir, class members examine poetry by Margaret Atwood, Billy Collins, Robert Hayden, and Claude McKay, stories by Richard Rodriquez and Willa Cather, and Barry Levinson's film Avalon. They examine...
Kenan Fellows
A Farmer’s Challenge to Breed to the Greatest of Grapes
What does your class know about GMOs? Are they savvy to selective breeding? Challenge young minds to engineer the greatest crop of all time using a hands-on genetics unit. Learners discover the good and bad details of selective breeding,...
Concord Consortium
Twinkle, Twinkle
Take a look at a star resource. Young mathematicians use a graphing calculator to draw intersecting lines that look like a star. They then apply translations to move the entire star and also consider what transformations must occur to...
Concord Consortium
Walled-Up Parabolas
Jump at the chance to use parabolas. Young mathematicians apply trigonometry to explore the trajectory of a ball in different situations. Some walls cause the ball to bounce, so participants must consider all possibilities.
Mascil Project
Design and Build Your Own Vacuum Cleaner, Hair Dryer or Toy Car
No vacuum cleaner? No problem, just build your own. Scholars apply knowledge of currents to build a model of either a vacuum clear, a hair dryer, or a toy car. While the class completes the activity, instructors consider gender...
Concord Consortium
Cultural Growth
Scholars read and interpret a graph relating bacterial growth in a culture over time. They apply knowledge of derivatives, estimation, and graphing to the skill practice questions.
Concord Consortium
Defining Logarithms
An inverse relationship exists between exponents and logarithms, allowing mathematicians to easily convert one to the other. Scholars apply a brief definition of logarithms with a few practice problems. Then, they discover the...
Concord Consortium
Detective Stories
The truth will always come out. A short performance task has learners considering a witness statement given to a detective. They apply special line segments in triangles and Ceva's Theorem to prove that the witness is actually lying.
Concord Consortium
Divisions
Divide and conquer the geometry problem. Young scholars consider how to subdivide triangles into smaller ones that have equal areas. They must apply their knowledge of medians to help accomplish the task.
College Board
2017 AP® Environmental Science Free-Response Questions
Almost half of test takers passed the AP Environmental Science exam in 2017. Use the free-response questions on the topics of pollution and ecosystems to improve writing skills in preparation for the AP exam. Discuss the scoring...
Utah Education Network (UEN)
Extending the Number System
Don't feel negative about negative numbers. Individuals extend their knowledge of positive numbers and fractions to rational numbers. They see how to represent negative rational numbers on a number line, learn about opposites and...
Curated OER
Applying Proportionality in Scale Drawings
Sixth graders examine a blue print and discuss the reasoning behind using blue prints. In this proportionality lesson plan, students collaborate with their teammates to create a scale drawing. Once that is complete, 6th graders...