Via the concrete setting of estimating the population of the US, your algebra learners are introduced to a logistic growth model. Comparing and contrasting logistic, exponential, linear and quadratic models, to see which fits the data...

Model a bicycle chain with circles and tangent lines. Given the dimensions of the sprocket wheels, young scholars calculate the length of the chain that surrounds them. A second task has learners write a function for the length of a...

Your algebra learners discover that exponential functions, with a base larger than one, outgrow linear functions when the inputs increase sufficiently. Their analysis includes using a graphing calculator to produce tables.

Algebra learners like this resource because it is easy to understand and it relates to their lives. Whether you are starting a new workout routine, or just climbing the stairs, your heart rate increases and decreases throughout the day....

Run a simulated airplane manufacturing plant with your pupils as the builders! Learners build Lego airplane models and collect data on the rate of production, comparing the number produced to the number defective. Using linear...

Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...

Study Fibonacci sequences and see a related set of numbers. Learn and review Lucas numbers and use of quadratic equations to find a general term of a sequence of numbers that is generated by a recurrence relation similar to Fibonacci's.

Explore the mathematical relationship between a solvent and solute. Learners use technology to measure the cooling patterns of a solvent with varying concentrations of solute. Through an analysis of the data, pupils realize that the...

Control the computer processing speed with mathematics! Scholars use a computer program to graph color-changing functions. Using complex polynomial functions slows the speed of the program, but simplifying the expression allows the...

Here's a window into graphing calculators. Scholars use a graphing calculator to plot a quadratic function. They then adjust the window to make the graph look like that of a linear function and must recreate given graphs.

Let's learn a little bit about business! Given information about a t-shirt company, young mathematicians explore the revenue, costs, profits, and future sales. They develop mathematical models for these quantities using linear,...

Use mathematics to show your classes the power of a good model. Young mathematicians analyze the famous Ponzi pyramid scheme using an exponential pattern. They make conclusions on the reliability of the plan and why it is illegal. 

Practice using linear models to answer a question of interest. The 12th installment of a 16-part module combines many of the skills from previous lessons. It has scholars draw scatter plots and trend lines, develop linear models, and...

Your young basketball players will build a table and develop a general formula for a decaying exponential scenario involving the rebound distance of a bouncing ball. Using a CBR and graphing calculator can make this even more hands-on...

What locations on Earth get the longest number of hours of daylight in the summer? Hint: It's not the equator! Use real-world sunrise and sunset data to develop trigonometric models that can be used to estimate the number of hours of...

  Explore the connection between a finite graph, a directed graph, and a matrix. Graph lines and identify the relationship of matrices in real-world scenarios. Then use this information to work with a partner to plan and design a...

In this graphing calculator worksheet for the TI-83 calculator, middle schoolers first observe a demonstration for calculating negative numbers. Next, students use their graphing calculator to answer 6 thoughtful T/F and short answer...

Skeeters are used to model linear and exponential population growth in a wonderfully organized lesson plan including teachers' and students' notes, an assignment, graphs, tables, and equations. Filled with constant deep-reaching...

Represent motion with arrows and call them vectors! The lesson is a presentation that models the mathematics involved when determining a resultant vector. It addrssses motions that are parallel, perpendicular, and a combination of...

Learners create patterns in a table to mimic the function of an electronic spreadsheet. The result is a table that creates an addition table for decimals in intervals of one-tenth. While creating the pattern, pupils must thoroughly...

Just how durable could a hollow ball bearing be? Learners model the strength of the walls of a ball bearing as a function of the radius of its cavity. They use their models to make reasonable conclusions about the probability of failure...

What is the appropriate model? Sample problems show the extent of the Smarter Balanced assessments Claim 4, Modeling and Data Analysis. Items provide pupils the opportunity to use mathematical modeling to arrive at a reasonable answer....

Solve two-step equations using order of operation in this algebra instructional activity. Young mathematicians evaluate functions through substitution and apply the properties of exponents and negatives correctly. They complete the order...

Close your eyes and visualize a definite integral. An interactive provides a visualization of a function and definite integral on a closed interval. Pupils move one point of the interval in either the positive or negative direction....