Your young bankers compare earning interest accumulated yearly and monthly to decide which method most increases their balance. Using an exponential function to model the bank balance affords the learners more practice connecting...

Class members are challenged to design a device that will move a circus elephant into a train car. Groups brainstorm ideas that use simple machines to load the elephant. They then choose one of their ideas, sketch a plan, and present it...

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,...

Individuals create a GIS data layer in Google Earth that displays information about where one might find seven different cryptids. The class members research to find data on cryptid sightings they can include in their data...

This activity presents a game played by two learners whose solution is an exercise in creating and analyzing with algebraic inequalities. 

Help algebra learners relate a real-life function that happens at the Oakland Coliseum every time the Raiders play. The resource states that the revenue of the Oakland Raiders home games is a function of the number of seats sold and the...

We've got the beat! And your musically-minded mathematicians will tap their toes as they determine which music company would be getting a better deal based on their offers to buy out TunesTown. The topic is extended in an additional...

There seems to be an interesting relationship between the increasing numbers of golf courses and divorce. Assess student understanding of correlation and causation by asking them to explain what it is. Use this short activity as a class...

Learners are designing a stunning new water feature for an aquarium, but they soon discover that more than just a pretty home for their fishy friends is required.  From calculating the volume of a composite shape through the...

Your class will be very interested in the results of this activity. How long does it take a MP3 and video game player to charge?  Sam only has an hour and the MP3 player only has 40% of its battery life left. Plus, his video player...

With minimal setup and maximum freedom, young geometers are encouraged to think outside the box on a seemingly simple application problem. Though the task seems simple, measuring a given paper clip and finding how many 10 meters can...

Challenge young mathematicians' understanding of squares with this geometry puzzle. The task is simple, identify as many squares as possible in a 3x3 array. Allow learners to work independently or in pairs as they search for squares,...

Challenge young mathematicians' ability to compose and decompose shapes with this fun geometry puzzle. The goal is simple, locate all of the rectangles shown in a picture of three overlapping rectangles. Perform this activity as a whole...

If Microsoft wanted to take over Apple, how many shares would they need to break even? This is an ideal task for seventh graders who are studying proportional relationships and applying them to real-world scenarios. Use it as an...

Your favorite sports team is ranked #1. How do the powers that be determine this rating? Learn how ratings are mathematically computed using probability concepts, from the Elo Rating System for chess to the Rating Percentage Index for...

Eight different numbers are listed for mathematics masters to analyze. They simply tell if each number is rational or irrational. They can also explain their reasoning. A simple and straightforward worksheet that is a handy tool for...

Discover an interesting mathematical object that your algebra learners will enjoy investigating. Their adventure will lead them to the generation of a finite geometric series.

When is the last time you assigned your students only one problem? This seemly simple problem requires learners think like a mathematician and reason about how to solve this compound inequality in one variable. More than just using...

How far is it between school and home? Here is a relatable activity where the participant runs to school a certain fraction of the way. That distance is given in miles. It is up to your learners to determine the distance between home and...

Use the given tasks and detailed teacher's commentary to introduce your 8th graders to the Pythagorean theorem and its converse. Embedded links to information about Egyptian geometry make your presentation interesting. Consider...

You would think that humans make up more mass than ants do on this planet, but think again, and this time by performing calculations. Middle schoolers use scientific notation to compute and compare the estimated total mass of all humans...

Connect probability and odds with different games from around the world. Pick from games like Dreidel, Mancala, and a Navajo stick game called Ashbil. All 12 games include probability questions to encourage a discussion before or after...

Tap into the competitive nature of teenagers as your class practices setting up and solving rational equations. This activity starts with a specific ratio of games won to games played, then asks how many more games must be played to...

Make solutions to projectile motion problems magically appear using equations. Pupils watch a clip from a Harry Potter movie and find the length of time it takes for a remembrall to fall into Harry's hands. They use a projectile motion...