Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Gigantic Triangles: Measuring Altitude (Inclinometer)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
If you've ever wondered how tall that bridge is, or how high your kite was, then this could be a good project for you. You'll learn how you can use the mathematics of right triangles to measure the height of an object with two...
Lesson Plan
Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments: Composing Music Mathematically

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This activity is designed to motivate and challenge first year algebra students through a fun introduction to advanced mathematical concepts. It also offers extensions for upper grade level students. Students will recognize relationships...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Chain Reaction: Inversion and the Pappus Chain Theorem

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Here is a challenging problem for anyone with an interest in geometry. This project requires background research to solve it, but it is an excellent illustration of visual thinking in mathematics.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Taking Off on a Tangent

For Students 9th - 10th
This is an interesting geometry project that goes back to the time of Archimedes, the famous Greek mathematician. You can combine this mathematical project with computer science and take this ancient problem into the twenty-first century...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Frequency of Outcomes in a Small Number of Trials

For Students 3rd - 8th
People often draw conclusions from a small number of observations, but how easy is it to draw the wrong conclusion? Here is a simple project that shows the importance of making enough observations before making a prediction.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Dice Probabilities

For Students 6th - 8th
You're playing Monopoly with a friend, and you've already got Park Place and you really, really want to get Boardwalk. If you're on Pacific Avenue, what are the chances you'll reach your goal? Here's an easy project that will show you...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Throwing You Some Curves: Is Red or Blue Longer?

For Students 6th - 8th
This a straightforward, but interesting, project in geometry. It is a good first proof to try on your own. You should be able to figure it out by yourself, and you'll gain insight into a basic property of circles.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Estimation and Population Size

For Students 3rd - 5th
Have you ever wanted to take a short cut? How about when doing your math homework? In this experiment you can learn how estimation can save you time doing math calculations. But beware, some estimations are better than others. Can you...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Measuring Up

For Students 3rd - 5th
Measurements are very important for scientists. It is especially important that the measurements be accurate. Think about how important accuracy is when you want to know if you are taller than a friend of yours, every inch counts. In...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Pick a Card, Any Card

For Students 3rd - 5th
No matter what your favorite card game is, we all wish we could use psychic powers to draw the card we want on our turn. You may not have psychic powers, but you might have the power of probability on your side. Do this experiment and...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Play Doh Math

For Students 3rd - 5th
One piece of Play-Doh can make many different shapes. Even though you can change the shape by squishing or stretching the Play-Doh, it is still the same size unless you add or take away some of the dough. Try this experiment to test how...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Juice Box Geometry

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Juice boxes are so convenient, just poke the straw in and sip away. It might surprise you how much thought goes into the design and manufacturing of a juice box. Each manufacturer has carefully calculated how big each side should be to...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: M&m Math

For Students 3rd - 8th
By using a simple bag of M&Ms, you can conduct an experiment in statistics to determine the frequency of colors in the package. The Science Buddies project ideas are set up consistently beginning with an abstract, objective, and...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Making Patterns With Rubik's Cube

For Students 9th - 10th
This project challenges you to figure out how to make geometric patterns with Rubik's Cube. Leaving your cube in one of these positions makes it much more tempting to pick it up and 'fix' it. See if you can determine how different...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Devising an Algorithm for Solving Rubik's Cube

For Students 9th - 10th
If you're the kind of person who has taken apart your Rubik's cube in order to grease the inside parts so it will move more smoothly, this could be a great project for you. This will show you three sets of move sequences that accomplish...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Tiling With Spidrons

For Teachers 9th - 10th
If art and math are both passions of yours, this project is meant for you! Spidrons are geometric forms made from alternating sequences of equilateral and isosceles (30 degrees, 30 degrees, 120 degrees) triangles. Spidrons were...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Effects of Card Counting on a Simple Card Game

For Students 9th - 10th
If you enjoy playing cards, this project will get you thinking about strategy in card games and help you become a better card player. Explore probability using computer simulations and the practice of counting cards.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Do Baseball Stadium Dimensions Affect Batting Statistics?

For Students 9th - 10th
Here's a fun project that combines baseball and math. Major League baseball is played in ballparks that have their own individual quirks when it comes to the exact layout of the field. Fenway Park in Boston has the famous "Green Monster"...
Activity
University of Toronto (Canada)

U. Of Toronto: Does the Number E Have Real Physical Meaning?

For Students 9th - 10th
This site explains why the number e does have meaning outside of its purely mathematical applications. Gives an example of this using compound interest. Also explains the number e as a limit and its role in calculus.
eBook
University of South Florida

Educational Technology Clearinghouse: Lit2 Go: Lewis Carroll: Symbolic Logic

For Students 9th - 10th
The text of a book "discussing the area of mathematics which studies the purely formal properties of strings of symbols." The text can be read online or downloaded by individual chapters in MP3 or PDF format. In addition, each chapter...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Thinking in (Semi )Circles: The Area of the Arbelos

For Students 9th - 10th
The arbelos is the white-shaded region between the three semicircles in the illustration at right. In this project, you'll prove an interesting method for determining the area of the arbelos.
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Shape Changing With the Cyber Squad

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
In this project, you will make 2-dimensional templates, called nets, that fold up into 3-dimensional (3-D) shapes. By making shapes of different sizes, you will be able to see how 3-D shapes change with size. In your findings you will...