Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Shake it up with Seismographs!
Shake things up in your STEM or earth science classroom when you have small groups construct their own seismographs. A reading assignment on the history of seismographs, the Richter scale, and current technology sets the stage for the...
EngageNY
Multiplying and Dividing Expressions with Radicals
That's radical! Simplifying radicals may not be exciting, but it is an important skill. A math lesson provides explanations of properties used throughout the material. Scholars practice skills needed to multiply and divide...
Scholastic
Final Project: The Earth, Inside Earth
Follow in Jules Verne's footsteps and take a journey to the center of the earth! Middle schoolers work together to design a trip inside the earth using their knowledge from the previous lessons in the unit.
Curated OER
Problem Solving
Students listen to a story about a cat and dog fighting all the time. They must develop and explain a machine that stops the cat and dog from fighting. Then they have a discussion about machines and inventions.
Curated OER
What's Wrong With This Computer?
Learners, while in the computer lab, view a PowerPoint Presentation that addresses routine hardware and software problems that may occur with everyday usage of a computer. They identify and solve routine problems by checking connections...
Curated OER
Mathematics of Scale
Students problem solve to calculate the number of times various listed objects could fit onto Tacoma Narrows Bridge. They create a scale drawing of the listed objects in comparison to the bridge.
Curated OER
Skills for Building Healthy Relationships
Students create skits showing relationship problems and discuss how communication, cooperation, and compromise can build strong relationships. In this healthy relationships instructional activity, students are given a scenario to...
Curated OER
The Puzzle
Students develop problem solving skills in science. In this creative thinking lesson, students manipulate puzzles and formulate solutions. Students share their process with peers to see if they can complete a given puzzle using the same...
Curated OER
Summer Fun Activity: Dream Vacations
Students can turn the block area into a travel agency. In this early childhood problem solving lesson, students use creative-thinking and language skills as they design a play environment.
Mathematics Assessment Project
Applying Angle Theorems
Polygon ... an empty bird cage? After finding the angles of a polygon, young mathematicians use the provided methods to solve the problem in multiple ways.
Curated OER
Sphere Dressing
Geometric design makes a fashion statement! Challenge learners to design a hat to fit a Styrofoam model. Specifications are clear and pupils use concepts related to three-dimensional objects including volume of irregular shapes and...
EngageNY
Interpreting Division of a Fraction by a Whole Number—Visual Models
Divide fractions just like a model does. Pupils visualize the division of a fraction by a whole number by creating models. Scholars make the connection between dividing by a whole number and multiplication before practicing the skill...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Maximizing Profits: Selling Boomerangs
You'll return to this resource again .. .and again ... and again. Class members determine the maximum profit of a boomerang-making business by solving a system of equations. They then review and analyze provided sample responses to...
Curated OER
Responding to Literature: James and the Giant Peach
Fifth grade reader/writers create an alternate ending to an episode in Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach in which our protagonist "loses" the chance to magically solve all his problems. Prompts students not only to write creatively...
Curated OER
Fall-5 The Scientific Method Midterm Progress - Biology Teaching Thesis
Students use the scientific method explicitly and independently to solve a problem/answer a question. They are able to write complete and comprehensive lab protocol that helps answer a question and use appropriate grammar and writing...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Classifying Proportion and Non-Proportion Situations
Proportions, proportions, everywhere. Class members complete an assessment task solving problems involving proportionality. They then complete an activity classifying given situations as proportional or non-proportional.
EngageNY
Finding a Rate by Dividing Two Quantities
Develop the right station to solve rate word problems. The 18th lesson in a series of 29 starts by interpreting the aspects of rates with two different quantities. Pupils use the interpretation of rates to solve problems, and groups work...
University of Nottingham
Modeling Conditional Probabilities: 2
Bring the concept of conditional probability alive by allowing your classes to explore different probability scenarios. Many tasks have multiple solutions that encourage students to continue exploring their problems even after a solution...
Curated OER
Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students
Learners of all ages solve historical mysteries. Elementary learners research historical topics by organizing information presented by their instructor, formulating hypotheses, and considering solutions to mysteries presented about...
Curated OER
Is This a Rectangle?
How do you show that something is a rectangle? This activity starts with four coordinate points and asks young geometers to explain whether they create a rectangle. Knowledge from both geometry and algebra come into play here, as well...
Illustrative Mathematics
Chocolate Bar Sales
In this real-world example, algebra learners start to get a sense of how to represent the relationship between two variables in different ways. They start by looking at a partial table of values that define a linear relationship. They...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Modeling: Making Matchsticks
Math: The only subject where the solution to a problem is seven million matches. Young scholars first complete an assessment task estimating the number of matches they can make from a tree of given dimensions. They then evaluate provided...
EngageNY
Comparison Shopping—Unit Price and Related Measurement Conversions II
Which rate is greater and by how much? Pupils continue to compare rates to solve problems in the 20th portion of a 29-part series. Rates are presented in a variety of representations either using the same representation or different...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Increasing and Decreasing Quantities by a Percent
As part of a study of percent and percent change, learners first complete an assessment task with several percent change problems. They then complete an activity using cards to create a diagram expressing percent increases and...