Massachusetts Department of Education
Similarity through Transformations
Create the ultimate miniature golf course. The 93-page model curriculum unit from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education contains nine lessons on understanding similarity in terms of both Euclidean geometry...
Big Learning
The Antarctica Project: A Middle School Mathematics Unit
Antarctica is a big place, large enough to provide ample opportunities to learn about math. A two-week unit teaches middle school mathematics concepts using project-based learning. The resource covers functions, geometry (area,...
Illustrative Mathematics
Running Around a Track I
The accuracy required by the design and measurement of an Olympic running track will surprise track stars and couch potatoes alike. Given a short introduction, the class then scaffolds into a detailed analysis of the exact nature of the...
Noyce Foundation
Surrounded and Covered
What effect does changing the perimeter have on the area of a figure? The five problems in the resource explore this question at various grade levels. Elementary problems focus on the perimeter of rectangles and irregular figures with...
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
Math - Design a Ship
Young scholars design a ship. They calculate square footage and draw their ship to scale. They build models of their ships.
Curated OER
Building Brilliant Bar Graphs
Everything you need for a mini-unit on bar graphs is included in this lesson plan! It outlines three lessons and includes worksheets. Learners taste pretzels, shoot baskets (switching off hands), and grab candy, graphing results...
Curated OER
Building a Ship Lesson Plan
Pupils draw a ship to scale, and calculate the real life size. They show that measurements on the drawingsare annotated with the distances reported in inches (fractions and decimals), and their real-world equivalents
Curated OER
Build Your Dream Science Lab
Would your ideal science lab be filled with bubbling beakers and zapping Tesla coils? Or would it contain state-of-the-art computer technology and data analysis? Dream big with an innovative lesson that connects math and language arts...
Curated OER
Principles of Flight: Flying Paper Airplanes
Students investigate ways to enhance an object's flying ability. In this model construction lesson, students construct two paper airplanes, one of which is twice as big as the first. Students compare and contrast the two separate...
Curated OER
Community Building
Young scholars build different shapes using sketches. In this geometry lesson, students explore measurements and units as they build and create models of buildings. They use SketchUp to create and manipulate shapes.
Curated OER
Bridge Building
Eighth graders will create model drawings of bridges and integrate technology into the process of creating a visual representation. Technology is used in the industry of design and architecture. This instructional activity helps to...
Curated OER
Mr. Pitonyak's Pyramid Puzzle
Students determine how much it would cost to build a pyramid using modern materials and ancient methods. They design scale drawings, models and submit final cost bids in an attempt to get the job of building a pyramid.
Curated OER
Suspension Bridges: Connecting Lives
Students explore bridges. In this bridge lesson, students design and build a suspension bridge after visiting related websites and reviewing famous bridges in non-fiction books. Students follow the instructions from the "Build a Bridge...
Curated OER
A Package of Pringle
Here is a problem-solving lesson that has learners take the role of a packaging expert to design an inexpensive means of packaging a potato chip. It could benefit from having more specific detail about the lesson itself, but it does make...
Discovery Education
Exploring Geometry
Middle schoolers construct a three-dimensional model of a city using both similar and congruent figures and geometric transformations. City must have at least ten buildings with each building labeled and may be constructed out of paper...
Curated OER
Universal Proportions: Earth and Moon
Young scholars create scale models of Earth, the Moon, and the distances within the universe. Working in groups, they construct their models of Earth and the Moon on a scale of 50:1 and calculate how far apart to place their models. ...
Curated OER
Designing a Fort
Students explore the concept of right triangles. In this right triangle lesson, students construct a scale model of a tourist attraction similar to Fort Jefferson. Students research aerial photos of Fort Jefferson, then build their...
Curated OER
Fractals Forever or Obvious and Hidden Order
Students discuss ways computers use properties of similar figures to generate scale models and create scenes. they describe patterns they have seen on a fern, pineapple, or pinecone. Students research Benoit mandebrot, H. von Koch and...
Curated OER
Boxing On
Students participate in five center activities in which they construct three dimensional objects using cubic centimeter manipulatives such as sugar cubes and toothpaste boxes. They determine the volume of the objects. They build a model...
Curated OER
Stack It Up!
Students analyze and begin to design a pyramid. Working in engineering teams, they perform calculations to determine the area of the pyramid base, stone block volumes, and the number of blocks required for their pyramid base. They make a...
Curated OER
Boat Hull Design
Working in small groups students develop three alternative boat designs. They discuss the rationale for the type of hull, propeller, location of ballast, and type of building material used in their design. They build their boat.
Curated OER
The True Value of Sweets
Measure your pupil's learning in a lesson designed to explore decimals by weighing different candies on a scale and recording the weight. Small groups then compare and order the decimal weights on a number line to show their...
Virginia Department of Education
Growing Patterns and Sequences
Learners explore, discover, compare, and contrast arithmetic and geometric sequences in this collaborative, hands-on activity. They build and analyze growing patterns to distinguish which kind of sequence is represented by a set of data...