The challenge: determine whether a tank will float. A design activity has groups work as engineering teams in order to determine the stability of given tanks and liquid contents. The teams need to determine the equations to...

See how a marshmallow can hold up a bridge load. Teams take a closer look at the design of bridge piers. They determine the types of loads that might affect a bridge, and, using that information, they calculate the needed cross-sectional...

Could you determine longitude based on measuring time? Early explorers used a longitude clock to do just that. Scholars learn about early exploration and the importance of the invention of the clock. Then pupils build their own longitude...

High schoolers conduct a survey of society's typical purchasing practices to determine the influence of packaging on consumer choices and to determine if consumers consider waste disposal and recycling when making purchasing decisions.

Students determine the base metals and surface metals in a penny. In this analysis of metals lesson plan, students determine the density of five pennies minted in different years. They use different chemicals such as hydrochloric acid,...

Apply robotics to connect physical properties to chemical properties. Future engineers use robots to determine the melting points of various fats and oils. The robots can do this by measuring the translucency of the fats as they heat up.

Middle schoolers examine how the movements of bones are dependent on the interaction of pairs of muscles. They design and construct a prototype of an artificial limb using a syringe system, and determine whether water or air makes the...

Designers measure their own rooms and produce a scale drawing. They use the Internet to visit sites to find the costs of purchasing new carpet, paint, or anything else they would like to add to their room. Using a $1500 budget, they will...

You're in high school and you just got the coolest car ever! But, now you need to start thinking about car insurance. Luckily, your teacher prepared you by engaging you in a life skills lesson like this one. The class actually calls...

Do your young mathematicians get paid for chores at home? Use this familiar real-world concept to explore multiplication and money math. They use a chart of chore payments to answer six questions and determine how much money Joe and...

Focus on money math as scholars solve five word problems. They must determine the correct math operation to find a solution (multiplication, division, or subtraction) and show their work in the provided space. There are two...

Careful, that light bulb is hot! Compare heat and light energy using a simple light bulb. The exercise addresses energy conservation and presents actual calculations to determine the most cost-effective light bulb.

Help your class members learn how to use their income wisely with a comprehensive lesson plan on calculating monthly car payments. Using basic math skills and online calculators, your learners will determine the total amount to be...

Sugar rush! For this assessment task, learners interpret points on a scatter plot representing price versus weight for bags of sugar. They then determine the bag that represents the best value.

Let's save some money! High schoolers investigate different options for price reductions. They then determine the best and worst sale from a list of options.

Batter up! As an assessment task, learners write linear functions to model the cost of baseball jerseys. They then determine which of two companies would charge a cheaper rate to buy baseball jerseys.

It might be silly to determine the creep rate of putty but groups will enjoy making different formulations of silly putty and playing with them to understand how the different mixtures behave. The second part of the activity has groups...

Water filtration — that's pure genius! Groups test the ability of a water filter to purify water by running chlorine contaminated water through a filter and measuring the chlorine concentrations as they filter the water. They then graph...

Apply area concepts to help farmers and settle county disputes. Scholars use a given diagram and information about an insecticide spraying campaign to determine the monetary benefit to farmers. They then decide which of two counties has...

So trendy! Show your class how to identify trends in sales patterns using mathematics. Scholars use a software simulation to collect data on age groups, price, and sales at a fashion store. This data allows individuals to determine the...

Sales tax rates vary; do the math to find the right rate! Pupils use before tax amounts and after tax amounts to determine the tax rate. Rounding makes the task challenging.

Sew up your unit on operations with decimals using this assessment task. Young mathematicians use given rules to determine the amount of fabric they need to sew a pair of pants. They must also fill in a partially complete bill for...

Knowing the temperature coefficient allows for the calculation of voltage output at any temperature. Groups conduct an experiment to determine the effects of temperature on the power output of a solar panel. The teams alter the...

Tune in for savings! Scholars investigate pricing schemes for two different online music download sites. After comparing the two, they determine the numbers of songs for which each site would be cheaper.