Exploratorium
Exploring a Complex Space-Filling Shape
Middle schoolers build a three-dimensional 12-pointed star as a geometric exercise. The shape is quite-difficult to construct. Luckily there is an excellent template that learners cut out, then use to make their pyramid. The second part...
Curated OER
Reflection of Light
Young scholars experiment with reflections of two plane mirrors placed at a 90 degree angle to see what will be reflected.
Curated OER
Fair Shares and Geometric Spirals
Young scholars tackle the problem of how to divide a triangular piece of land fairly among four people. They decide whether their method of fair division always works or if it only works in special cases.
Curated OER
Exponential Expressions - Perfect Squares, Square Roots
Color tiles are used to model perfect squares. Alone or in pairs, middle schoolers will find patterns. Afterward, the relationship between perfect squares and roots will be discussed as a whole class.
Curated OER
Guided Reading: Cold and Hot
Explore the text, Cold and Hot, with comprehension strategies for young readers. First, give them a purpose for reading: find out what the boy wore outside in the snow! Then have them use one-to-one matching and picture clues to...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Kapa Designs
I always knew there was a connection between art and math, and this lesson proves it. Fifth graders will use what they know about ratios and percents to design art inspired by Polynesian kapa cloth. A grid, specific guidelines, and the...
Curated OER
Isolines on a Weather Map
Ninth graders recognize isolines on a weather map and draw isolines based on temperature data on a weather map. They draw isotherms on a weather map to identify temperature patterns.
Curated OER
Getting it Right! An Investigation of the Pythagorean Theorem
In order to learn about the Pythagorean Theorem, young mathematicians investigate relations and patterns between different sides of a right triangle to look for possible relations among the squared sides. Once they have established the...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Binomial Expansion—Shortcut Please
There has got to be a better way; you just have to find it! Given a general binomial to expand with increasing powers, pupils realize that there must be a better way than multiple multiplications. Classmates look for patterns and use...
Curated OER
Popping Problems!
Turn your math lesson into a carnival game with this fun, outdoor activity. After reviewing the concept your class will be practicing briefly, split your class up into teams and head outdoors. These teams work to solve math questions and...
Improving Measurement and Geometry in Elementary Schools
Rep Tiles
In addition to the catchy title, this lesson plan provides upper graders an opportunity to more closely scrutinize the attributes of plane figures. In particular, they focus on the similarity of different shapes. Both whole-class and...
Curated OER
Another Way of Factoring
Focusing on this algebra instructional activity, learners relate quadratic equations in factored form to their solutions and their graph from a number of different aspects. In some problems, one starts with the original equation and...
Willow Tree
Approximating a Line of Best Fit
You may be able to see patterns visually, but mathematics quantifies them. Here learners find correlation in scatterplots and write equations to represent that relationship. They fit a line to the data, find two points on the line, and...
Project Maths
Trigonometric Functions
From a circle to a cycle! The final lesson of a five-part series challenges learners to use points from the unit circle to plot a repeating pattern. The repeating patterns become the graphs of the trigonometric functions. Scholars...
Curated OER
Balanced Equations
Help your math class understand variables. This activity is for a visual learner. They will use weights and a balance scale to show how the sides of an equation are equal. Worksheet is included.
Shodor Education Foundation
Cross Sections
Use this activity on cross-sections of three-dimensional shapes in your math class to work on algebra or geometry Common Core standards. The instructional activity includes a list of relevent terminology, and a step-by-step process to...
EngageNY
Understanding Box Plots
Scholars apply the concepts of box plots and dot plots to summarize and describe data distributions. They use the data displays to compare sets of data and determine numerical summaries.
American Statistical Association
You and Michael
Investigate the relationship between height and arm span. Young statisticians measure the heights and arm spans of each class member and create a scatter plot using the data. They draw a line of best fit and use its slope to explain the...
American Statistical Association
How Tall and How Many?
Is there a relationship between height and the number of siblings? Classmates collect data on their heights and numbers of brothers and sisters. They apply statistical methods to determine if such a relationship exists.
American Statistical Association
Scatter It! (Predict Billy’s Height)
How do doctors predict a child's future height? Scholars use one case study to determine the height of a child two years into the future. They graph the given data, determine the line of best fit, and use that to estimate the height in...
Google
Surveys and Estimating Large Quantities
Looking for an estimation activity a bit more involved than the typical "guess the number of jellybeans in the jar" game? Here, learners use a picture to estimate the number of people at a large event, look for potential problems with...
EngageNY
The Remainder Theorem
Time to put it all together! Building on the concepts learned in the previous lessons in this series, learners apply the Remainder Theorem to finding zeros of a polynomial function. They graph from a function and write a function from...
Curated OER
Investigation-Reasoning and Proof
Third graders determine the outcome of each of the following situations and justify their findings: even number + even number = ?, even number + odd number = ?, odd number + odd number = ?, and odd number + even number = ?.
Curated OER
Partial Quotient
Students study what occurs in the division process, rather than just following prescribed steps. They expand number sense to include integers and perform operations with whole numbers, simple fractions, and decimals. They write a word...