Young mathematicians investigate the use of symmetry in graphic design. After first learning about reflection, translational, and rotational symmetry, children use this new knowledge to identify symmetry in letters of the...

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...

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...

Number patterns can seem mysterious. Help your learners unravel these mysteries as they complete an intriguing task. Through examination, collaborative groups determine that they are able to produce all integers above a certain...

What makes a good sample? Your classes collaborate to answer this question through a task involving areas of rectangles. Given a set of 100 rectangles, they sample a set of five rectangles to estimate the average area of the figures. The...

Where in the world (or at least in the coordinate plane) is the third vertex? Given two coordinate points for the vertices of a triangle, individuals find the location of the third vertex. They read an account of fictional...

Four is the perfect number—if you're talking about parallelograms. Scholars determine a possible fourth vertex of a parallelogram in the coordinate plane given the coordinates of three vertices. They read a conversation...

Take a shot using a lesson on volume! Young learners watch a video showing a trashcan filling with paper balls. The task is to calculate the number of paper balls that will fit in the can. Pupils use volume calculations to make a...

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.

Question: What do rectangles and bathtub volume have in common? Answer: Linear equations. Learn how to identify situations that have constant rates by examining two different situations, one proportional and one not proportional.

Would you rather have a bowl of dimes or a bowl of quarters? A video introduces the problem by presenting two bowls, one full of quarters and another full of dimes. Learners use information from a CoinStar receipt to calculate the number...

Which fluids make the best bubbles? Pupils experiment with multiple fluids to determine which allows for the largest bubbles before popping. They gather data, analyze it in multiple ways, and answer analysis questions proving they...

Here's an assessment task that's better than watching a show. Young mathematicians solve word problems involving multiplication and division with equal groups. They must find the total number of attendees on a trip to a theater based on...

Using geoboards, computer programs, and hands-on manipulative materials, elementary schoolers engage in a study of two and three-dimensional geometric shapes. This lesson is chock full of good teaching ideas on the subject, and the...

Using the subscriber website Explorelearning.com, young mathematicians observe changes in the slope and y-intercept and their effect on the graph of lines. This activity helps students develop an intuitive sense of the connection between...

In this linear equations activity, students solve and complete 20 different problems that include using the order of operations. First, they distribute to remove the parentheses and combine like terms. Then, students move variables and...