NASA's LCROSS mission is dropping a probe into a lunar crater. Groups design a system to travel down a zip line and drop a marble onto a target in the classroom. The groups then modify their designs based upon testing. 

What does order of operations have to do with solving equations? A video explains solving two-step equations using a do/undo chart. Learners recognize the operations within an equation and use inverse operations to undo those...

A bite of bits. The first instructional activity in a unit of 15 introduces the class to the byte. Pupils learn about other standard units for measuring file sizes, develop an understanding of relative sizes and the kind of units...

Having more letters in your name helps you get a better grade in your math class—or does it? Learners create scatter plots to organize data. The lesson places emphasis on determining scale and intervals and labeling axis.

Perfect for visual and hands-on learners, an engaging lesson prompts pupils to consider the different-sized boxes they can create from a piece of cardboard. They develop a model to determine the size of the box with the greatest...

Buying a new sofa? Learn how to use the Pythagorean Theorem, as well as algebra and graphing techniques, to determine whether the sofa will fit around a corner (which I'm sure you'll agree is a very important consideration!).

Which pulley system will give us a whale of a good time? Teams compare the theoretical and actual mechanical advantages of different pulley systems. They then form a recommendation for how to move a whale from an aquarium back to the ocean.

Buying enough candy for trick-or-treaters without spending a lot of money can be the ultimate Halloween trick. Middle schoolers solve two holiday-themed word problems to determine which brand of candy is the better deal, based on cost...

One of the key questions in statistics is whether the results are good enough. Use an activity to help pupils understand the importance of sample size and the effect it has on variability. Groups collect their own sample data and compare...

Let's go fly a kite. By flying a kite, class members observe the difference in air flow. The class notices the characteristics of banners tied to the kite string to determine where wind turbulence stops. Adding an anemometer to...

Challenge the class to devise a method to determine the dimensions of a rectangle inscribed in another rectangle. Pupils make connections between functions and geometry as they examine the area and perimeter of a square or...

To determine the dimensional change to quadruple the area, class members determine how to increase the dimensions of a square and a circle to increase the perimeter by a given factor. they then calculate the necessary factor to...

Apply concepts of scale and ratio to determine relationships in irregular figures. Learners determine the ratio of the perimeters of two figures composed of rectangles and circles. After, they apply similar concepts to find the ratio of...

Scholars learn how to determine the area of compound shapes by finding the areas of the basic shapes that make it up. Pupils find the areas by adding areas together or subtracting them.

An in-depth lesson, the fourth activity in a series of 36, begins with teaching how the periodic table's arrangement came to its current design. Using this knowledge, pupils then move on to analyze the arrangement of elements to their...

The moon orbits Earth while the Earth is rotating, and the Earth revolves around the sun. This can be a tricky concept for young astronomers. Implement an activity that helps distinguish between the movements of Earth's systems around...

What happens to the momentum of an object when it strikes another object? Scholars roll a marble down a ramp so it collides with another marble. By measuring the speed of each marble before and after the collision, pupils answer this...

Would you believe that your digestive system stretches to five times your height?! Help your pupils to understand this relationship as they work through the laboratory exercise. The first instructional activity of a 12-part series is a...

Over the course of 10 days, young scientists observe their cups of seed and soil—one that gets sun and water and one that gets no sun and only water. Then they reflect on the results of the experiment to determine if their hypothesis was...

Go around the unit circle and create triangles. Pupils move a point around the unit circles to visualize the triangle associated with the angle in standard position. The three main trigonometric functions are defined in terms of the legs...

True friendship is priceless. Fourth graders read a short story about two friends who are willing to give up everything for each other — even their lives.

Baseball is all about math. Young baseball and mathematics enthusiasts determine the distance between players on a baseball field using the Law of Cosines. An interactive helps them find relevant distances and angles to use in their...

In less than 25 years, the continent of Australia moved 4.9 feet thanks to plate tectonics. The presentation introduces the idea of the layers of the earth as well as plate tectonics. It goes into why the plates move and where we believe...

Apply geometry to find the distance as the crow flies. An engaging lesson compares the distance a car must drive to the straight line distance between two locations. Scholars must manipulate a simulation, note the change in distances,...