Baylor College
Food: The Math Link
Enrich your study of food science with with these math worksheets. They offer a variety of food-related word problems that are great practice for multiplying, identifying fractions, estimating length, and performing calculations...
Curated OER
Repeating Decimal as Approximation
You are used to teaching repeating decimals with bar notation that keeps us from writing that number over and over again; now teach what the over and over again represents. This activity allows your mathematicians to explore the infinite...
David Pleacher
Candy Math Fun
Few things can motivate children to learn like the promise of a sweet and tasty treat. Given a bag of M&M®s, Skittles®, or other colorful candy, students first predict the contents of the bag before counting the pieces,...
Noyce Foundation
Through the Grapevine
Teach statistics by analyzing raisins. A thorough activity provides lesson resources for five levels to include all grades. Younger pupils work on counting and estimation, mid-level learners build on their understanding of the measures...
Bowland
You Reckon?
Sometimes simple is just better. A set of activities teaches young mathematicians about using plausible estimation to solve problems. They break problems down to simpler problems, use rounding and estimation strategies, and consider...
Illustrative Mathematics
How Many Leaves on a Tree?
This is great go-to activity for those spring or fall days when the weather beckons your geometry class outside. Learners start with a small tree, devising strategies to accurately estimate the leaf count. They must then tackle the...
101 Questions
How Many Hot Dogs?
Top off your hot dogs with a little math. Learners view a video on a hot dog eating contest, and then answer questions using estimation. Using a table of hypothetical data, they create algebraic expressions to represent the situation.
101 Questions
Blocks
Block play can teach children about gravity, physics, and spatial relationships. A hands-on lesson incorporates these concepts with an activity in which learners examine the relationship between levels in a pile. Scholars begin to...
101 Questions
Pyramid of Pennies
Go big or go home! Learners watch a video rendition of the creation of a penny pyramid. Their task is to determine the number of pennies in the pyramid. The lesson encourages multiple methods, including function building or volume formulas.
Gfletchy
Fill ‘er Up
Drink in a lesson on volume. Individuals first view a video clip where a conical cup is used to pour water into a water cooler jug. Using provided dimensions of the cup and the jug, they estimate the number of cups required to fill the...
Teach Engineering
About Accuracy and Approximation
How accurate are robots? Groups draw lines by moving robots backwards and forwards by one rotation of the wheels. Using the appropriate formula, they determine the percent error in the length of the lines in relation to the calculated...
Illustrative Mathematics
Irrational Numbers on the Number Line
There are four irrational numbers that participants need to graph. Pi(π), -(½ x π), and √17 are easy to approximate with common rational numbers. On the other hand, the commentary describing the irrational number 2√2 is not...
101 Questions
Oversize Tires
Big vehicles require some big tires. Given a picture of a flatbed hauling a large tire, scholars discuss and estimate the size of the tire. They then use information and video about the tires to estimate the height of a vehicle that uses...
101 Questions
World Record Airbag
Luckily, he hit the air bag. Scholars watch a video from the Guinness World Records that shows a stuntman falling from 342 feet. The task at hand is to determine his velocity when he hits the air bag. Thank goodness for the cushion!
Illustrative Mathematics
Estimating Square Roots
No calculators! Assure your learners that they can find the square root of a large number. All they need are two known squares close by and a table. Come up with an additional practice and your number crunchers will have it mastered in...
Teach Engineering
Cost Comparisons
Our final proposal for the cost of the bridge requested is ... In the last segment in a series of 10, pairs work together to develop a proposal for a city bridge design. The class completes a cost comparison between concrete and steel to...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Max's Math Adventures: A Sweet Story
In this Max's Math Adventure, estimate pieces of candy with Max, Ruthie, and Pop. Features include a teacher's guide, activity sheet, and extra challenges.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The Math Forum: Exploring Ocean Data Lesson Plan
Find "oceans of data" for students of all ages. NCTM, California, and Philadelphia standards are listed for each grade level along with lesson plans and other website resources.
AAA Math
Aaa Math: Front End Estimation
Front-end estimation is explained and demonstrated with an online game at this AAA Math lesson.
Other
Plane Math: Activities: Fill 'Er Up
Students work in groups to plan a flight around the country. The activity explores estimation, number sense, measurement, and patterns. The resource consists of a lesson plan, group activity instructions, lesson overview, and an expert...
Other
Plane Math: Activities: Flight Path
Students work in groups to find the shortest path between two cities. The activity explores problem solving, number relationships, estimation, and measurement. The resource consists of a lesson plan, group activity instructions, lesson...
Scholastic
Scholastic Internet Field Trip: Calendar Math Activities
This website offers plenty of links for activities around the topic of calendar math using estimation, measurement, and computations.
AAA Math
Aaa Math: Estimating a Sum by Rounding
This site explains how to estimate sums of whole numbers. Gives practice and games to practice this skill.
Other
Mr. Pitonyak's Pyramid Puzzle
Students estimate the cost of building an Egyptian pyramid with modern materials and ancient building methods in this math project.