In the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, some tiny creatures show just how quickly natural selection can turn a mutation into an advantageous adaptation. Watch a video about rock pocket mice, who show that one small change can make all...

This trigonometry textbook takes the learner from a basic understanding of angles and triangles through the use of polar coordinates on the complex plane. Written by a mathematician-engineer, examples and problems here are used to...

Middle schoolers have a bushel of fun as they engage in activities and research core facts about apples. Packed with suggestions for in-class activities and out-of-class research, the colorful 6-page packet is sure to satisfy hungry...

Puzzle your way through to a new understanding of area. Scholars learn about the area of polygons through equidecomposability, the idea that polygons that can be decomposed into the same set of pieces have the same area. By using...

New-to-school learners create a fall quilt consisting of three different paper geometric quilt squares. They use various geometric shapes that when assembled will form a scarecrow, pumpkin, and a crow. Assembly will require sorting...

Sixth graders experience and practice real-world geography, science and math as they imagine planning out the ultimate road trip. They set goals and maintain a daily budget as they are given a set of rules as they plan their road trip...

Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers.  In this environmental lesson, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...

Students complete their examination over the Jewish Diaspora. Using population figures, they discover the importance of percentages in exploring trends. They use their own ethnic group and determine how it is represented in the United...

Students engage in a lesson plan that is concerned with the measurement of a foot as a customary unit. They take part in a series of activities to help them acquire skills of using a foot to compare other units of measurement. The...

Middle schoolers choose a mathematician or scientist born on the same day as the student and research them. They create a cube or tetrahedron and place required information on the sides (such as birth year, death yr., greatest...

Students examine the solar system. In this space lesson, students identify the order of the planets and their relative size to the sun. Students create a scale model of our solar system using a variety of household objects.

Students study a variety of math concepts in the context of cooking up a meal. In this math activity, students calculate surface area and volume. They draw and interpret different types of graphs.

Winning a spin game is random chance, right? Pupils create a table to determine the sample space of spinning two spinners. Individuals determine the probability of winning a game and then modify the spinners to increase the probability...

Students examine problem solving techniques when working on spatial problems. They discover how models, sketches, and drawings can be used to understand on something works. They design a model of a bridge using given dimensions and...

Students study the Wampanoag tribe to learn about the importance of the herring to their culture. In this Wampanoag lesson, students read information and complete multiple activities to learn about the role of the herring fish in the...

Students apply their knowledge of math to the real world. In this algebra activity, students explore different way to incorporate math topics into the real world. They create a score or progress sheet to mark their progress.

First graders chop vegetables into fractions. In this fractions lesson, 1st graders cut vegetables, collect data about favorite vegetables and create a bar graph using the information. Students make inferences about the data and...

Young scholars describe techniques helpful in solving spatial problems which utilize the notion that a model is a simplified version of something complicated. They utilize methods such as sketching or drawing possible solutions to a...

Students experiment with the angle that yields the greatest distance of water at constant pressure.  In this experiment with the angle that yields the greatest distance of water at constant pressure activity, students shoot water...

Students visit MainFunction every Friday for a Reality Check. Students discuss questions or complete an activity about real-world topics.

Students visit MainFunction every Friday for a Reality Check. Students discuss questions or complete an activity about real-world topics.

In this probability instructional activity, students solve 1 word problem about birthdays.  Students determine the number of people needed for a 50% chance of two people sharing the same birthday.

Students calculate their carbon footprint. In this environmental technology lesson plan, students listen to a lecture on climate change. Students brainstorm solutions to reduce environmental impact based on travel options. Students...

First graders make ice cream and determine what makes this liquid turn into a solid.