Illustrative Mathematics
Hexagonal Pattern of Beehives
Young geometers and biologists investigate the math of nature in an activity that is just the bee's knees. Participants will study the tessellations of hexagons in a beehive, along with the natural rationale behind the specific shape....
Curated OER
Weighing and Determining the Average Density of the Earth
Some background information about density and Newton's Laws of gravitation and motion assist pupils in the following experiment. The procedure will help them further their understanding of gravity, pendulums, and a drop-ball experiment....
University of Wisconsin
Follow the Drop
Young surveyors look for patterns in water flow around campus. Using a map of the school (that you will need to create), they mark the direction of the path of water. They also perform calculations for the volume that becomes runoff. The...
University of Waikato
Density
Will the block float? Pupils take measurements to calculate the volume of various blocks of different materials. Using a scale, they determine the mass of each block and then calculate their densities. Scholars finish by ranking the...
Benjamin Franklin High School
Saxon Math: Algebra 2 (Section 4)
This fourth of twelve units in a series continues the investigation of functions through equations and inequalities. However, the modular nature of the lessons in the section make this an excellent resource for any curriculum...
Benjamin Franklin High School
Saxon Math: Algebra 2 (Section 3)
In this third of a twelve-part series, the focus moves from using matrices to solving systems of equations with substitution and elimination, including more than two dimensions and variables in equations, and analyzing statistical data....
Radford University
How Do I Design a Raised Bed Garden to Accommodate My Plants?
Give plants the best place to grow. Given constraints on plant spacing, pupils design a raised bed garden using graph paper, then calculate the perimeter, surface area, and volume. They use the provided costs of lumber and soil to...
Curated OER
Water Alchemy
After reading "Aquatic Alchemy," an article about recapturing water for reuse when in space, your class will use calcium hydroxide or hydrated lime to purify cloudy water. Geared toward high school chemistry or environmental science...
Purdue University
Plastic Water Bottle Design – What’s the Best Shape?
Join the fight to reduce plastic waste. A hands-on STEM activity first teaches scholars about the scourge of plastic waste. They then measure the dimensions of water bottles to calculate surface areas and volumes before using the surface...
Radford University
Being Green – Minimizing the Surface Area of a Soda Can
Save the world by designing a new soda can! Learners first measure the dimensions of a typical soda can and calculate its surface area and volume. They then use spreadsheet software to minimize the surface area for the volume, thus...
Radford University
A Day at the Beach!
Make math class feel like a day at the beach (minus all the sunburns, of course). Given information about a pail, a soup can, and a plastic pyramid mold, pupils calculate the volume of sand that can fit in each. They then design sand...
Radford University
Choosing the Best Cylinders
Don't be fooled: the taller glass doesn't always hold the most. Given the dimensions of different cylindrical containers for beverages and popcorn, pupils calculate the volumes. They see how changing the dimensions affects the volume and...
College Board
2006 AP® Calculus AB Free-Response Questions Form B
An exam divides the six free-response questions into calculator use and no calculator use items. The non-calculator items are conceptual in nature and test whether pupils understand the calculus concepts. Scholars explain their answers...
Colorado State University
What Causes Pressure?
Are you feeling the pressure? Let loose a little with a kinesthetic activity that models molecular motion in a closed space! The activity varies conditions such as volume and temperature and examines the effects on molecules.
K20 LEARN
Chicken Truck: Writing Algebraic Expressions
How did the chicken travel down the road? Given a picture of a chicken truck, class members brainstorm what information they need to determine the total number of chickens on the truck. Pupils research for the information and devise a...
Radford University
Fun with Solids
Cakes offer a yummy way to learn about math. Scholars use manipulatives to discover the formulas for the surface area and volume of prisms and cylinders. They use their formulas to calculate the amount of cake mix and frosting necessary...
Radford University
Koi Pond
There's nothing fishy about the activity. Future mathematicians design a koi pond from various three-dimensional shapes. They calculate the perimeter, area, and volume of the pond, and then create PowerPoint presentations. They also...
Radford University
Coal Silo Design Task
The coal is mined. Now what? Scholars design a coal silo that stores mined earth using at least two different three-dimensional shapes. They calculate the volume, determine the amount of mined earth produced in a day, and find the amount...
Radford University
Sand Castle
Don't let the task slip through your fingers like sand. Scholars design sand castles using hemispheres, pyramids, cones, and cylinders of different sizes. They calculate the volume and surface area and consider how changing the...
College Board
2007 AP® Calculus AB Free-Response Questions Form B
What do the questions look like? Six free-response questions provide pupils with knowledge of how calculus topics appear on the AP® Calculus exam. The questions involve calculator and non-calculator problems by providing mathematical and...
College Board
2004 AP® Calculus BC Free-Response Questions Form B
Take another look at the exam. A set of questions is a different form for the 2004 AP® Calculus BC free-response question section. The questions are evenly split into calculator and non-calculator sections. Pupils use their knowledge of...
EngageNY
End-of-Module Assessment Task: Grade 7 Mathematics Module 6
Determine the level of understanding within your classes using a summative assessment. As the final lesson in a 29-part module, the goal is to assess the topics addressed during the unit. Concepts range from linear angle relationships,...
Royal Society of Chemistry
Symbols
Chemistry calculations can look a bit like alphabet soup at times. How do you help pupils make sense of it all? An interactive resource helps scholars sort through the symbols for common quantities such as moles, boiling point, and...