EngageNY
Properties of Similarity Transformations
You can explain it, but can you do it? After learners view a sequence of transformations, the next logical step is creating the transformation. Challenge your classes to construct a composition of transformations and verify the...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Coloring Discrete Structures
What's the least number of colors needed to color a U.S. map? The lesson begins by having pupils view a video clip on continuous and discrete phenomenon, then launches into an activity reminiscent of Zeno's paradox. A separate video...
Bowland
Alien Invasion
Win the war of the worlds! Scholars solve a variety of problems related to an alien invasion. They determine where spaceships have landed on a coordinate map, devise a plan to avoid the aliens, observe the aliens, and break a code to...
Noyce Foundation
Double Down
Double the dog ears, double the fun. Five problems provide increasing challenges with non-linear growth. Topics include dog ears, family trees and population data, and geometric patterns.
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Investigating Special Right Triangles
Scholars first investigate relationships in the side lengths of 30°-60°-90° triangles and 45°-45°-90° triangles. This knowledge then helps them solve problems later in the lesson plan about special right triangles.
Illustrative Mathematics
Sum of Angles in a Polygon
How can learners use algebra to solve a geometry problem? Help learners create an equation that shows the relationship between the number of sides of a polygon and the sum of the interior angles. Learners are asked to divide the...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Alphas, Betas and Gammas Oh, My!
Referring to the periodic table of elements, nuclear physics learners determine the resulting elements of alpha and beta decay. Answers are given in atomic notation, showing the atomic symbol, mass, atomic number, and emission particles....
Mathematics Vision Project
Probability
Probability, especially conditional probability, can be a slippery concept for young statisticians. Statements that seem self-evident on the surface often require a daunting amount of calculations to explicate, or turn out to be...
Illustrative Mathematics
Right Triangles Inscribed in Circles I
One of the basic properties of inscribed angles gets a triangle proof treatment in a short but detailed exercise. Leading directions take the learner through identifying characteristics of a circle and how they relate to angles and...
Illustrative Mathematics
Similar Triangles
Proving triangles are similar is often an exercise in applying one of the many theorems young geometers memorize, like the AA similarity criteria. But proving that the criteria themselves are valid from basic principles is a great...
Noyce Foundation
Cut It Out
Explore the mathematics of the paper snowflake! During the five lessons progressing in complexity from K through 12, pupils use spatial geometry to make predictions. Scholars consider a folded piece of paper with shapes cut out....
Noyce Foundation
The Wheel Shop
Teach solving for unknowns through a problem-solving approach. The grouping of five lessons progresses from finding an unknown through simple reasoning to solving simultaneous equations involving three and four variables. Each lesson...
Noyce Foundation
The Shape of Things
Investigate the attributes of polygons. A thorough set of lessons presents problem scenarios for elementary through high school classes. The first lessons focus on basic characteristics of polygons, including the line of symmetry. As the...
Noyce Foundation
First Rate
Explore distance and time factors to build an understanding of rates. A comprehensive set of problems target learners of all grade levels. The initial problem provides distance and time values and asks for the winner of a race. Another...
Noyce Foundation
Perfect Pair
What makes number pairs perfect? The resource provides five problems regarding perfect pairs of numbers, the definition of which changes in complexity with each task. Solutions require pupils to apply number sense and operations, as well...
Noyce Foundation
Cubism
If cubism were a religion, would you follow it? Lower-level tasks focus primarily on counting the number cubes in a structure and relating the number to surface area. As learners progress to higher-level tasks, isometric drawings and...
Noyce Foundation
Lyle's Triangles
Try five problems on triangles. Levels A and B focus on shapes that can be created from right triangles. Level C touches upon the relationship between the area of a six-pointed star and the area of each triangle of which it is composed....
Illustrative Mathematics
Comparing Rational and Irrational Number
Algebra learners must know how to use rational numbers to approximate irrationals. This resource asks participants to decide which number is larger without using a calculator. It makes a great exercise to use as a five-minute transition...
Curated OER
Download and Analyze
Students download information from a NASA website into a database. They transfer it to a spreadsheet by completing the information and analyze the information. They determine temperature averages, mode, and graph the results. They write...
Curated OER
Teaching Students Mathematical Reasoning Skills
Students can build upon their basic math skills and become higher order thinkers when we encourage the following principles.
Curated OER
Brain Teaser - Mail
In this logic worksheet, students solve a word problem using logic about sending a letter without the mailman opening the box. Students complete 1 problem.
Curated OER
Problem Solving: Use Logical Reasoning challenge
In this sorting activity, students use logical reasoning to identify a sorting rule for each set of two pictures and draw a third item that belongs in each group. Students draw four pictures.
Curated OER
Have Block Party!
Learners discover that the possibilities are limitless in this block-building activity. In this early childhood, problem solving lesson, students develop social, problem-solving, math, and language skills using a specific number of...
Curated OER
Introduction to Measures of Central Tendency and Variability
Students calculate the mean, median, mode, range, and interquartile range for a set of data. They create a box and whisker plot using paper, pencil and technology.