Curated OER
The Class Trip
Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...
101 Questions
Bottomless Mug
How much coffee can you actually drink? An intriguing lesson has learners consider an advertisement for a bottomless mug of coffee. While considering the price of the mug, they analyze different scenarios to determine the cost-saving...
Yummy Math
Penny Wars
As the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. Young scholars use a penny activity to earn their way to an understanding of volume. Given three different-sized cylindrical containers, individuals make calculations to determine the...
Howard County Schools
Generous Aunt
Witness the power of exponential growth with an activity that investigates two different savings plans. Class members create tables of values to see how and when a savings plan increasing exponentially exceeds one increasing linearly.
Illustrative Mathematics
Summer Swimming
Here is a real-world application for systems of equations. When is it better to pay an enrollment fee and lower daily rate, and when is it better to pay the regular price? The local swim center is having a special offer, reductions in...
Curated OER
Linear or Exponential?
Your learners analyze various real-life contexts to decide if each is a linear or exponential model. This could be used as an assessment of learners' skills of discerning between a linear and an exponential model.
PBL Pathways
Medical Insurance
Design a plan for finding the best health insurance for your money. Learners compare two health plans by writing and graphing piecewise functions representing the plan rules. Using Excel software, they create a technical report...
Illustrative Mathematics
Price per Pound and Pounds per Dollar
Help learners understand the concept of unit rate as it is applied to buying beans at a grocery store. The objective is to determine the unit rate in two ways, and then apply each ratio to an additional problem. The attached commentary...
North Carolina State University
Construction
Engineering design projects serve as great opportunities for collaborative problem solving. In this case, students work in small groups designing, building, and eventually testing a structure that meets a teacher-specified objective. It...
101 Questions
What Micheal’s Coupon Should You Use?
Get your classes on their way to extreme couponing! Young mathematicians analyze two different coupon options for the better deal. They use different scenarios to predict and compare the outcomes.
Curated OER
Area of the Lawn Project
Students calculate simple area calculations in real-life situations. They determine simple wage computations. They use critical thinking skills. They demonstrate their ability to use writing in order to express mathematical thoughts and...
Curated OER
Percents: What's the Use?
Young scholars explore percentages in real world situations. In this percents lesson, students determine the final sales price after discounts. Young scholars interview community members and determine how percentages are used in the real...
Curated OER
I.O.U.
Students explore adding and subtracting positive and negative numbers in the context of money. In this computation lesson, students use play money and IOU's to model various mathematical algorithms.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Nctm: Figure This: Double or Not
Is "time money"? See if you can figure out exactly how much your time is worth. Explore the concepts of number patterns, time, and money in this one-page activity from the NCTM Math Challenge for Families series. Find out why mastering...
Education Development Center
Tune in to Learning: Pricing a Job
Learn how to calculate a fair price for a service. You'll be exploring calculations of direct cost, overhead, profit and more. The answers you give to the lesson questions will receive immediate feedback.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Nctm: Figure This: How Can You Use Old Stamps?
Test your number sense and problem-solving aptitude with this math challenge using postage stamps with different values. This one-page activity from the NCTM Math Challenge for Families series focuses developing skills that can be used...