Curated OER
Open-Ended Problem Solving - Math
If you are looking for an end-of-the-year math assessment, then this lesson could be for you! Your mathematicians are assessed on their ability to solve difficult, multi-step word problems that take quite a bit of thought and...
Illustrative Mathematics
$20 Dot Map
Challenge the addition skills of young learners with this open-ended math problem. The task is simple, get from start to finish by connecting a series of three numbers. The trick is that the sum of the numbers must be less than...
Willow Tree
Problem Solving
School subjects connect when your young scholars use math to edit English. Math allows you to convert an entire paragraph into a simple equation or inequality. Examples encourage learners to write expressions, equations, and inequalities...
Illustrative Mathematics
How Many Cells Are in the Human Body?
Investigating the large numbers of science is the task in a simple but deep activity. Given a one-sentence problem set-up and some basic assumptions, the class sets off on an open-ended investigation that really gives some...
Illustrative Mathematics
Mr. Brigg's Class Likes Math
A quick discussion question that brings some collaboration into your classroom will allow your thinkers to make a decision about sampling. Mr. Briggs wants to know if the results from his class are a valuable comparison to the entire...
EngageNY
Population Problems
Find the percent of the population that meets the criteria. The 17th segment of a 20-part unit presents problems that involve percents of a population. Pupils use tape diagrams to create equations to find the percents of subgroups...
Illustrative Mathematics
Field Day Scarcity
Introduce young mathematicians to concepts of financial literacy with this open-ended word problem. With seven dollars to spend during field day and given a list of available items and their prices, children must determine how they want...
Illustrative Mathematics
Toilet Roll
Potty humor is always a big hit with the school-age crowd, and potty algebra takes this topic to a whole new level. Here the class develops a model that connects the dimensions (radii, paper thickness, and length of paper) of a...
EngageNY
Counting Problems
Solving these percent problems is a matter of counting. Pupils find percents by counting the number of events that meet the criteria and the total number of possibilities. Participants create the ratio and convert it to a percent to...
Illustrative Mathematics
The Lighthouse Problem
Long considered the symbol of safe harbor and steadfast waiting, the lighthouse gets a mathematical treatment. The straightforward question of distance to the horizon is carefully presented, followed by a look into the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Tilt of Earth's Axis and the Four Seasons
Geometry meets earth science as high schoolers investigate the cause and features of the four seasons. The effects of Earth's axis tilt features prominently, along with both the rotation of the earth about the axis and its orbit...
Illustrative Mathematics
How Many Leaves on a Tree?
This is great go-to activity for those spring or fall days when the weather beckons your geometry class outside. Learners start with a small tree, devising strategies to accurately estimate the leaf count. They must then tackle the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Shortest Line Segment from a Point P to a Line L
One of the hardest skills for many young geometers to grasp is to move beyond just declaring obvious things true, and really returning to fundamental principles for proof. This brief exercise stretches those proving muscles as the...
EngageNY
Structure in Graphs of Polynomial Functions
Don't allow those polynomial functions to misbehave! Understand the end behavior of a polynomial function based on the degree and leading coefficient. Learners examine the patterns of even and odd degree polynomials and apply them to...
Kenan Fellows
Designing and Analyzing Data Collected from Wearable Devices to Solve Problems in Health Care
Wearable devices have become more the norm than the exception. Learners analyze data from a sample device with a regression analysis in a helpful hands-on lesson. Their focus is to determine if there is a connection between temperature...
Illustrative Mathematics
Extensions, Bisections and Dissections in a Rectangle
Gaining practice in translating a verbal description into a diagram and then an equation is the real point of this similar triangles exercise. Once the diagram is drawn, multiple methods are provided to reach the conclusion. An effective...
Teach Engineering
It's Tiggerific!
Spring into elastic potential energy with a lesson that provides background information on determining the elastic potential energy of springs and other elastic materials. General energy equations emphasize the conservation of...
Curated OER
Ten Money Word Problems
Play with money! There are 10 word problems given; can your learners count the money in each and provide the correct answer? If possible, consider providing change for each learner to physically work out the answer.
EngageNY
Comparing Distributions
Data distributions can be compared in terms of center, variability, and shape. Two exploratory challenges present data in two different displays to compare. The displays of histograms and box plots require different comparisons based...
Illustrative Mathematics
Equal Area Triangles on the Same Base II
A deceptively simple question setup leads to a number of attack methods and a surprisingly sophisticated solution set in this open-ended problem. Young geometers of different strengths can go about defining the solutions graphically,...
Curated OER
Finding the Area of Shapes
In this area of shapes unit, upper graders participate in hands-on problem solving activities to find the formulas for the area of a parallelogram, a triangle, and a trapezoid. They manipulate the geoboard to explore relationships among...
Illustrative Mathematics
Sale!
Everyone loves a sale, and this worksheet allows learners to calculate which sale is more rewarding. The activity can be adapted for different thinking contexts. The answer key describes different answer choices, some being higher...
Curated OER
Problem Solving of Patterns
Fifth graders use a software program to practice their problem solving skills. As a class, they identify patterns in their days at school and review problem solving patterns in math. They solve different problems and discover that the...
Curated OER
Math: Matching Rods and Religion
Math and religious studies are integrated together using using cuisenaire rods and Kid Pix for this problem-solving exercise. In pairs, they match different colored rods to represent various groups of people. Meanwhile, students at...