Illustrative Mathematics
Throwing Baseballs
This is a wonderful exercise for learners to apply their critical thinking skills along with their knowledge of quadratic functions and parabolas. Young mathematicians investigate a real-world scenario about the height a baseball reaches...
Curated OER
Stock Swaps, Variation 2
If Microsoft wanted to take over Apple, how many shares would they need to break even? This is an ideal task for seventh graders who are studying proportional relationships and applying them to real-world scenarios. Use it as an...
University of Utah
Functions
Define, explore, compare, and analyze functions with the fourth chapter of a 10-part eighth-grade workbook series. After encountering the definition of a function, pupils begin to explore linear and nonlinear functions. They then...
CK-12 Foundation
Inverse Variation Models: Speedometer for Inverse Variation Models
Model inverse variation while solving a real-world problem. Young scholars use the interactive lesson to discover the pattern of inverse variation data. They then use that discovery to write and analyze an equation.
Concord Consortium
Bricks for Books
Maximize a profit with an understanding of geometric dimension. A real-world task challenges learners to design a pattern using three different brick shapes. The bricks are dedicated with a different donation for each shape, so part of...
Curated OER
Point-Slope Form of a Line
This activity helps young mathematicians connect the graph and the point-slope form of a line, by first solving a real-world problem and then using that example to motivate the understanding of the equation. By manipulating the gizmo,...
Curated OER
Residential Power System
Perform data analysis on energy consumption to apply algebraic expressions to the real world. Learners will write and solve equations that answer various questions from residential power use. They will collect data at home and calculate...
Curated OER
Loan Amortization - Mortgage
Upper graders explore the connection between interest and principal. They use an amortization schedule to determine the amount of principal paid vs interest on a $100,000 home loan. Fourteen discussion questions and a research-based...
Agile Mind
Isabella’s Credit Card
An in-depth activity that involves a real-world problem about credit card debt. Learners are given a scenario in which Isabella plans to stop using her credit card and pay off the balance by paying a fixed amount each month. The first...
Curated OER
Fish Tale
Here is a cute problem that requires visualizing two-dimensional shapes within a three-dimensional object, and using properties of triangles and the Pythagorean theorem to solve a real-world problem. There is a small mistake in this...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Division
When you divide two integers you can get a decimal form of a rational number that repeats. How do you interpret that number in real-world situations? Her is an example question: What does 2.6666666666 mean in terms of an amount of...
Fort Bend Independent School District
Data Analysis - AP Statistics
What better way to study survey design than to design your own survey! Bring a versatile data analysis project to your AP Statistics class, and encourage them to apply the practices from their instructions to a real-world survey...
Balanced Assessment
A Loud Noise
In a scale measuring noise, an increase in 10 dB is a 10 time increase in power. Mathematicians examine the data graph of a real world exponential growth, with no logarithmic scale, and then create two equations relating the...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Where’s the Source? Episode: “Undercurrents”
Several real-world problems are posed as a way to learn about vector fields in order to make some predictions after analyzing the data. The main problem comes from the tv show NUMB3RS and is based on solving a crime where a body has...
Curated OER
Comparing and Ordering Decimals
Which decimal is greater? Learners start by comparing eight pairs of decimals, writing in the symbol (> or <) to indicate values. The next two sections involve sets of three decimals. They start by circling the decimal with the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Crude Oil and Gas Mileage
Here is an activity that presents a real-world problem about the relationship between crude oil production and the gas mileage of modern automobiles. After learners write functions to describe the relationships, they are asked to...
Curated OER
Fuel Efficiency
Looking for a real-world situation to practice converting units? In this problem, learners must change miles per gallon to liters per km (or vice versa) to determine which car gets better gas miileage. It is a relatively short problem,...
Illustrative Mathematics
To Multiply or not to multiply?
When do you multiply a fraction by a fraction? Here, fifth graders are given 10 different word problems and asked to decide if multiplying 2/5 x 1/8 is appropriate. Many times, real-world word problems sound similar although the required...
Illustrative Mathematics
Converting Fractions of a Unit into a Smaller Unit
There is more than one way to answer a question; especially when you have fractions in measurement. Here are three questions with real-world situations in which 5th graders are asked to provide answers in three ways: a larger unit of...
Curated OER
Minutes and Days
Elapsed time is a skill developed by the single question that is the center of this activity. Fifth graders are asked to find out the time that is 2011 minutes after the beginning of 2011. This question addresses the standard that...
Illustrative Mathematics
Lake Algae
Introduce learners to exponential growth with this real-world problem about algae that is rapidly spreading across a lake in a city park. The task presents the rate of growth and an end value and asks learners to determine what happened...
Illustrative Mathematics
Influenza epidemic
This activity presents a real-world problem about an epidemic of influenza spreading through a city. Learners refer to a graph that shows the number of individuals infected in relation to the number of weeks that have elapsed since...
Illustrative Mathematics
Boxes and Cartons of Pencils
Boxes and cartons of pencils are a natural, real-world example for understanding bundles of ten and their relationship to a hundred. When you have many cartons, you can discuss place value, and how to represent multiple hundreds.
Illustrative Mathematics
Above and below sea level
Using the real-world example of elevation, above or below sea level, young mathematicians interpret expressions using negative signs, and absolute value. This task provides a good opportunity to discuss the notion of magnitude and...