Teach Engineering
Just Plane Simple
It is plane to see that simple machines help reduce the force needed to perform a task. This resource introduces three of the simple machines--the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw, and the formulas in order to be able...
Colorado State University
If You Can't Predict the Weather, How Can You Predict the Climate?
Why is the weather man wrong so often? Young climatologists discover how chaos rules both weather and climate through a math-based activity. Using an iterative equation, the class examines how small day-to-day weather events total up to...
Curated OER
Swinging Pendulum
Learners engage in an activity which demonstrates how potential energy (PE) can be converted to kinetic energy (KE) and back again. Given a pendulum height, students calculate and predict how fast the pendulum will swing by understanding...
Berkshire Museum
Adopt a Schoolyard Tree
Help young scientists connect with nature and learn about trees with a fun life science lesson plan. Heading out into the school yard, children choose a tree to adopt, taking measurements, writing descriptions, and drawing sketches of it...
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
Measure for Measure
Young mathematicians work to recognize the relationship between their scale models of the Joides research vessel and the real vessel. They calculate the relationships between various parts of the ship using fractions, ratios, and...
Curated OER
Measures
Estimate and explore the length and weight of classroom items using standard measurement and scales. Students will work in groups to determine appropriate measuring tools, weigh or measure items, and record their results on a data chart....
Shodor Education Foundation
Box Plot
What information can come from a box? Learners choose a data set to display as a box plot and decide whether to include the median in the calculation of the quartiles, show the outliers, and change the scale. To finish the lesson,...
Curated OER
Curve Ball
Create a Height-Time plot of a bouncing ball using a graphing calculator. Graph height as a function of time and identify the vertex form of a quadratic equation that is generated to describe the ball's motion. Finally, answer questions...
EngageNY
Bean Counting
Why do I have to do bean counting if I'm not going to become an accountant? The 24th installment of a 35-part module has the class conducting experiments using beans to collect data. Learners use exponential functions to model this...
EngageNY
Fundamental Theorem of Similarity (FTS)
How do dilated line segments relate? Lead the class in an activity to determine the relationship between line segments and their dilated images. In the fourth section in a unit of 16, pupils discover the dilated line...
Shodor Education Foundation
Pythagorean Explorer
Make sure the measurement is right. The interactive provides right triangles with a missing side measurement. Pupils use the given sides and the Pythagorean Theorem to calculate the length of the missing side. After entering the length,...
Curated OER
Tale of the Tape
How can baseball and skeet-shooting be modeled mathematically? Sports lovers and young mathematicians learn how to use quadratic equations and systems of equations to model the flight paths of various objects.
Consortium for Ocean Leadership
Measure for Measure
How does your class measure up? Young scientists create a scale drawing of the JOIDES Resolution in a collaborative activity. The lesson incorporates mathematical principles with deep-sea exploration to focus on enhancing measurement...
Curated OER
Fractions and Recipes
Learners, working with their parents in real world situations, calculate to complete three word problems associated with multiplying and dividing fractions.
Sea World
Endangered Species
Study different endangered species with several activities that incorporate math, science, language arts, and research strategies. A great addition to your activity on conservation or Earth Day.
Curated OER
Number Sense: Real Numbers
Using a scientific calculator and an 11-page guide sheet, middle schoolers investigate real numbers and problem-solving properties. The publisher links this resource to Common Core standard for seventh grade math, but you may find...
Virginia Department of Education
The Pythagorean Relationship
Add up areas of squares to discover the pythagorean relationship. Small groups create right triangles with squares along each side. They calculate the areas of each square and notice the relationship. Groups construct other types of...
Curated OER
Patterns and Algebra - Modeling
Seventh grade math is so much fun! They solve 10 different problems that include using patterns to complete a table, describe the pattern, and identify the specific term in the pattern for each. Then they give a description of the...
Curated OER
Use a Table
In this elapsed time worksheet, students analyze a schedule of events at a picnic with the starting times listed. Students read and solve 6 problems in which the elapsed time is calculated.
Scholastic
Study Jams! Double-Digit Division
RJ had an awesome basketball season this year! Use division by double-digit numbers to calculate his scoring average in this instructional presentation. Starting with an explanation of the terms dividend, divisor,...
Reardon Problem Solving Gifts
Teaching Problem Solving Strategies in the 5-12 Curriculum
Address any kind of math concept or problem with a series of problem-solving strategies. Over 12 days of different activities and increasing skills, learners practice different ways to solve problems, check their answers, and reflect...
Virginia Department of Education
Inequalities
Not all resources are created equal — and your class benefits! Scholars learn how to solve one-step inequalities using inverse operations. They complete an activity matching inequalities to their solutions.
Sea World
Marine Animal Husbandry and Training
Step into the role of a zoo director with several activities about animal training and running a zoo. Kids calculate the amount of food each animal needs, design a habitat for penguins, decide how to breed bottlenose dolphins, and train...