Right triangles are so special! Use special right triangles to discover the trigonometric ratios. Pairs construct special right triangles and find the values of the ratios of the sides. In the process, they discover the ratios stay the...

Pack the instructional activity into your plans. Young mathematicians learn about packing and optimization with the context of circular paving stones. They use coins to model the paving stones, and then apply knowledge of circles and...

This hands-on lesson takes young geometers on a tour of 2D polygons and 3D polyhedrons. After exploring different web resources and discussing geometric shapes, small groups construct models of polyhedrons using bendable straws. Note:...

Learners honor mathematicians who have contributed important discoveries throughout history by researching and creating a report about a famous mathematician and their contributions to the history of mathematics. Pairs of learners...

In this 2-D shapes lesson plan, kindergarteners review plane shapes attributes. They engage in a shape hunt in the classroom and create art using plane shapes. A good, hands-on lesson plan!

During this hands-on activity, young chemists build molecular models based on the Lewis dot structure before studying valence shell electron pair repulsion theory. 

Consider the relationship between side length and area as an input-output function. Scholars create input-output tables for the area of squares to determine an equation in the first installment of a three-part unit. Ditto for the area of...

Do flexible circuits change dimensions during fabrication? Groups use GeoGebra software to measure the length of pictures of flexible nano-circuits. To determine if the circuits change dimensions, future engineers use Microsoft...

Students enjoy making 3-D figures while learning about rectangular prisms, pyramids, vertices, edges, and faces. After a lecture/demo, students use marshmallows, toothpicks and a worksheet imbedded in this lesson to create 3 dimensional...

Shapes in art, shapes in stories, shapes in the environment, shapes all around. A multi-part lesson that includes looking at the artist Paul Klee's work, reading books about shapes, taking a walk in the neighborhood and identifying...

Middle and high schoolers research the life of Pythagoras and the Pythagorean theorem. They write a short biography of Pythagoras and learn to apply the theorem in their study of right triangles.

Get your class out in the environment for hands on math activities. In this wetlands lesson, learners transplant native plants, calculate how much soil is needed, and perform math activities based on this experience. They then make...

Eliminate all doubt when it comes to sentence structure with nine thorough lesson plans. Whether you want your young writers to vary their sentence structure or shore up their knowledge of conjunctions and semicolons, these lessons are a...

The phonemic awareness activities in this packet are designed to help kids develop skills in rhyming, syllabication, blending onsets and rimes, and beginning and ending sounds. Well worth a place in your curriculum library.

Jupiter has 67 moons! As the seventh in a series of 22, the exercise shows learners the size and scale of Jupiter and its Galilean moons through a model. They then arrange the model to show how probes orbited and gathered data.

Discover trigonometric ratios that complement each other. Using two videos, the lesson introduces the trigonometric ratios. The class discovers the relationship between the sine and cosine of complementary angles.

Combine transformations and triangle congruence in a single lesson. Scholars learn to view congruent triangles as a rigid transformation. Using triangle congruence criteria, learners identify congruent triangles and the rigid...

No height? No problem! Learners use their knowledge and a little help from GeoGebra to develop the Law of Sines formula. The Law of Sines helps to determine the height of triangles to calculate the area.

Planning a party of 45 guests may be more complicated than it would seem.  Learners must design the space in accordance with these constraints about the space available in the room. They need to calculate area, circumference,...

And round and round the park we go! Given a description of an amusement park with the locations of three attractions connected by walkways, learners consider what happens when additional attractions join the mix by doubling the length of...

Don't cry over broken pottery. A cross-curricular lesson challenges pupils to consider how to restore ancient pottery. Using a computer program and their knowledge of transformations, they come up with a way to recreate the original...

Here's some very interesting circles for your very interested pupils. A performance task requires scholars to sketch a pair of orthogonal circles so the centers are the endpoints of one side of a triangle. They draw an additional circle...

Eighth graders study the cultural and architectural history of San Diego. After study they create a design of a home based of features from historical and modern homes found in their research.

Students study the elements of the Periodic Table as they relate to the building blocks of the body. They experiment to measure the amount of iron in the body.