Always check your assumptions when interpreting data and data visualizations. That's the take away from this exercise. Class members examine a failed project that looks at search trends to predict flu outbreaks and consider the...

In this Assumption reading comprehension instructional activity, students read a 1 paragraph selection pertaining to St. Mary's feast day and then answer 3 multiple choice questions regarding the information.

After experiencing how quick and easy it is to make judgments as part of an opening activity, learners discuss the concept of a stereotype and the need to think critically and question our immediate assumptions.

In this sentence completion activity, learners read 10 sentences that have a missing word or phrase. From 4 choices, students select the most correct words to complete the sentence.

How many hot dogs does Fenway Park go through in a year? Learners estimate answers to this question and more as they work through the task. Problems require participants to make assumptions and use those assumptions to make estimations.

Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman?” speech has reverberated through American history, giving voice to women of color who had not previously been heard. Learners analyze the tone, audience, purpose, occasion, and speaker of the speech’s...

Everyone loves a sale, and this worksheet allows learners to calculate which sale is more rewarding. The activity can be adapted for different thinking contexts. The answer key describes different answer choices, some being higher...

A fermi number is a rough estimate of a quantity that is difficult or impossible to measure. Individuals design a process for making an estimation of a given scenario. For example, they determine a plan for estimating the number of...

Here’s a matrix that could be used with any literary work. For each assigned passage, readers are asked to record information about characters, setting, vocabulary, literary devices, symbols, tone, mood, etc. In addition, they are asked...

Young mathematicians determine the number of hours it would take judges of the "Z Factor" television talent show to watch every act. Participants make estimates and assumptions to solve the problem.

How many great, great grandchildren can one have? Scholars estimate the number of descendants a woman can have after 110 years. They use information about the average number of children per family and life expectancy to make this estimate.

It is positive that how one performs on the first test relates to their performance on the second test. The three-question assessment has class members read and analyze a scatter plot of test scores. They must determine whether...

Swimming is more fun with quantities. The short assessment task encompasses finding the volume of a trapezoidal prism using an understanding of quantities. Individuals make a connection to the rate of which the pool is filled with a...

How many cars would be involved in a traffic jam 12 miles long? A slightly ambiguous writing prompt gives learners the opportunity to practice making reasonable assumptions to tackle a real-life problem. Few details are given, so they...

In this statistics and probability activity, young statisticians solve and complete 13 different problems related to probability, percentages, and normal distributions. They consider data models, assumptions about the models, and find...

Before your scholars know how to multiply side lengths to find an area, give them some practice in simply counting units. They examine shapes that have already been segmented into units, counting them to get the area. There are three...

It's all just a matter of time. The resource provides four Fermi questions in reference to time. The questions are open-ended and require classmates to make use of estimation and dimensional analysis.

It's an erroneous assumption that vocabulary practice must be tedious. Rather than a draconian approach, tantalize your learners with a sentence completion exercise that will enthrall them. A detailed answer key makes the seemingly...

“You don’t have to think too hard when you talk to teachers.” Or so says Holden Caulfield.  Challenge his assumption by asking your readers to think about and respond to some of the assertions of Salinger’s narrator. Should a...

Let your scholars test their economics skills with this 55-question quiz! They respond to fill-in-the-blank and multiple-choice questions pertaining to the study of microeconomics and macroeconomics. All answers are provided, and the...

This seventh grade life science quiz has a professional appearance and well-written multiple-choice questions. However, it seems to cover too broad a variety of biology topics for only 15 questions to fully assess. There is one question...

There are 10 word problems here, all in the same format. Learners are presented with the geometric scenario of a rectangle divided into rows and columns. They must determine, based on the number of each, how many squares are inside the...

Draw a graph that shows the qualitative features of a function that has been described verbally. Make sure learners understand where time is zero and the distance is zero. It may take them some time to understand this concept, so working...

Investigate the growth rates of alien animals. Pupils study fictional animals from another planet to determine how much they grow per year. The investigators plot the growth of their animals over a period of time and then compare...