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
NUMB3RS Activity: Chains and Pyramids
Watch an episode of the TV show, NUMB3RS and then explore the mathematics of chain letters and pyramid schemes, both of which involve geometric progressions and exponential growth. They discuss why both are dangerous and illegal.
Curated OER
NUMB3RS - Season 2 - "Convergence" - Air Hockey
Learn how to use a matrix to organize data to solve a problem. This activity uses wins and losses to rank players for an air hockey tournament they wish to have. After practicing some basic matrix operations the class could do the...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Coded Messages
Using matrix multiplication and inverse matrices, students are trying to uncode a coded message. Students encrypt simple messages using 2 x 2 matrices.
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Fresh Air and Parabolas
Explore parabolas and investigate linear and quadratic functions to solve problems symbolically and graphically. Also use parametric functions to display trajectories on a graphing calculator.
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Financial Futures
High schoolers discuss the calculated risk example in Numb3rs about a businesswoman from a company that made its money trading in futures. They use a formula given by the teacher to compute the estimated value of an investment after...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Implicit Orbits
In this algebra worksheet, students solve word problems using algebraic equations and implicit differentiation. There are 16 problems dealing implicit differentiation.
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Exponential Growth
Mathematicians investigate exponential growth by exploring two different options for receiving allowance. Students use technology to compare a linear function with a constant rate of growth to a function that grows exponentially...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Settling The Score
Learn how to investigate matrix multiplication. In this secondary mathematics lesson, high schoolers examine matrix multiplication in the context of a Homes-Rahe stress test which is similar to the process used to score figure...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS - Season 3 - "Provenance" - Set the Trap
Learners investigate concept of matrices through iteration in this probability lesson. They investigate probability by creating a lesson based on a famous painting. This assignment contains extensions to the...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS - Season 3 - "Provenance" - Matrix Operations
Learn how to use matrix operations to determine the probabilities that an object will end up at a certain location. The instructional activity is designed as an introduction to matrix operations and is a step-by- step guide through the...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Riding the Waves
High schoolers use the TI-Navigator system to explore vector fields and make predictions. They also identify what a vector field is and that it represents the movement of water. Pupils try to determine where a bottle floating might have...
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: Regular Ploygon Centroids
Students investigate geo-profiling. In this secondary mathematics activity, students use geo-profiling to determine the most probable location of a criminal. Students find the centroid of a polygon where the vertices...
Texas Instruments
NUMB3RS Activity: Narrowing the Search
High schoolers explore the length of an n-dimensional vector. For this Algebra II/Pre-calculus lesson, students investigate an expansion of the Pythagorean Theorem to n-dimensional space.
Curated OER
NUMB3RS Activity: A Matter of Half-Life and Death
Students investigate exponential decay. Students explore the biological half-life of Cesium-137. Students investigate the Goiania Accident of 1987 which is considered one of the worst incidents in the history of the Atomic...
Curated OER
Exponential Decay
Learners study exponential decay and its application to radiocarbon dating. In this exponential decay lesson, students use candy to model the time it takes for something to decay. Learners also graph the data they collect and...
Curated OER
Tearing a Piece of Paper in Half
In this secondary mathematics activity, students investigate exponential growth as they predict the height of a stack of paper formed by tearing one sheet of paper in half over and over again for thirty tears. The one page activity...
Curated OER
Carbon Dating
Simulate C-14 decay using M&M and Reese's Pieces candies. In this scatter-plot lesson plan, students perform an experiment to simulate the half life of C-14. Information is plotted on a scatter-plot. Students answer four...
Curated OER
The Labyrinth
High schoolers analyze a basic logic maze based on the Greek myth about Theseus and the Minotaur. Through simulation they determine a winning strategy. At the conclusion of the activity, they design their own mazes for each other to...
Curated OER
The Pythagorean Theorem
Seventh graders relate the Pythagorean theorem to the real world. In this algebra lesson plan, 7th graders identify important properties of the Pythagorean theorem and use it to solve word problems. They create a step by step plan...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs: Driving With Djikstra
Based off of the hit television show NUMB3RS, this lesson introduces students to one of the prominent algorithms in graph theory used to find shortest paths -- the Djikstra Algorithm. The lesson includes four graphs of increasing...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs: Matrix Operations
Based off of the hit television show NUMB3RS, this lesson shows students how using matrix multiplication can lead to solving real-world problems. In this situation, a painting is missing and the probability of travel betweek five cities...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs: Expected Value
Based off of the hit television show NUMB3RS, this lesson plan attempts to explain the betting system at horse tracks by having students vie for parcels of land on their calculators. Because the land boundaries are unknown until the...
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments: Numb3 Rs: Maintaining Balance
Based off of the hit television show NUMB3RS, this lesson has students determine center of mass for a series of objects (approximate JENGA blocks), and then to push each level so that it "hangs over" the level below it. Following this,...