Don't toy with using a fun lesson. Scholars design new toys and then create scale drawings. They determine the volume and surface area of the toys, and then research prices of raw materials to estimate the manufacturing costs.

Cover the field. Pairs investigate two different rolls of astroturf to cover a football field. The learners determine which type of roll is the most cost effective. Scholars write letters to the athletic director explaining their...

Take a swing at the task. Using their knowledge of polygons and solids, scholars design one hole of a miniature golf course. They calculate areas and perimeters, determine the cost of building the holes, make scale drawings, and create...

What more could we want from floor tiles? Using pattern blocks and graph paper, pupils determine ways to completely tile a floor of given dimensions. They consider the aesthetic quality of the tiles by creating a tessellation and...

Boost lemonade sales by using the perfect container. For a given volume, future entrepreneurs design a container that will have the least surface area and by extension, the least cost of material. They create a two-dimensional net of...

Coal mines can be a gold mine of math applications. After reading some basic information on coal mining, learners draw blueprints of a coal pillar in the shape of a composite figure. They find the volume of material from the coal pillar...

Finalize the plans before playing in the sand. Learners design sandcastles using geometric and composite figures. They create blueprints, including the scale, and three-dimensional models of their castles. Finally, scholars calculate the...

Make sure it flows smoothly. Pairs research plumbing codes to find the required slope for a sewer line. Using the information, groups answer several questions involving interpreting the slope. Pupils determine the cost of pipe to run a...

Ponder the problem of pizza prices. Pupils use provided information about two different pricing schedules for pizza. They create tables of values and functions to represent the pricing schemes, consider domain restrictions, and identify...

Calculate fractional changes in numbers. Pupils watch a short video on determining the cost of a shirt after it has been reduced by a fractional amount. Scholars use worksheets to practice calculating increased and decreased amounts.

Introduce young learners to the concept of a Universe of Obligation, a term coined by sociologist Helen Fein, with a lesson that asks learners to consider the extent to which they feel a responsibility for others. Class members read and...

Scientists study all sorts of things. For example, studies show that it feels good to feel grateful. Feeling grateful also contributes to physical health and strengthen relationships. In the second lesson about gratitude, class members...

The fourth and final lesson in the Gratitude series has learners craft and deliver a Gratitude Letter to a significant person in their lives. Writers include information about how they benefitted from the attention of the benefactor, an...

Money talks! And it can reveal a lot about political candidates. An 11-slide presentation examines how candidates raise and spend money on an election. The slides, using data from the 2016 Presidential election, reveal how much it costs...

Knock a chip off the cookie. Learners purchase a property to mine and mining tools. Pupils use their tools to mine chocolate chips out of a cookie for 5 minutes and return cookie fragments to its original site. After the time is over,...

Highlight a unique solar cell with a report and a poster. Scholars complete the ongoing solar cells project by writing an engineering report in the last of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit. They also create research...

Revolutionize the solar cell industry with a new design. The 10th of 14 lessons in the Cost Effective Solar Cells unit has pupils start a project in which they design a unique solar cell. They receive an introduction to the project,...

Fitting in to a dominant culture comes at a price—especially for native peoples. Class members consider this concept using a photo matching game of indigenous people in Alaska. Discussion questions help them consider to what extent these...

Imagine being forced to give up your culture and then being graded on how well you complied with orders to do so. Documents show young historians the price indigenous peoples paid as a result of the Dawes Act, which was essentially a...

Efficiency equals money where homes are concerned. A comparative lesson asks learners to measure heat output of incandescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs. They follow their investigation with calculating the cost of using the two...

Scholars select a health and/or medical science career and, using various sources, research to find out as much as they can about what the job involves. They research the kind of education and training required and the cost of that...

Put the infinite power of the sun to good use. Young scientists learn about solar energy by completing a challenging project. They imagine that they are in charge of planning a solar panel array for a building and must decide where to...

Scholars complete the Reality Chech handout that identifies their potential salary given a specific profession. Pupils examine the lifestyle options and choose what they wish to have; however, each item costs money and, depending on how...

Explore the complexities of reproductive genetic testing respectfully in the learning space. Scientists read articles, view a slideshow, and complete a do-now about genetic technologies. A fishbowl activity allows scholars to discuss the...