Illustrative Mathematics
Accuracy of Carbon 14 Dating II
The scientific issue of carbon-14 dating and exponential decay gets a statistics-based treatment in this problem. The class starts with a basic investigation of carbon content, but then branches out to questions of accuracy and...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Weather or Not
What is the difference between weather and climate? This is the focus question of a lesson that takes a deeper look at how weather data helps determine climate in a region. Using weather and climate cards, students decide...
Curated OER
The Game is Afoot - A Study of Sherlock Holmes
Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre. Based on what...
Teach Engineering
Designing a Spectroscopy Mission
In this mind-bending activity, young engineers explore this question of whether or not light actually bends. Using holographic diffraction gratings, groups design and build a spectrograph. The groups then move on research a problem...
Kentucky Educational Television
The Road to Proportional Reasoning
Just how big would it really be? Young mathematicians determine if different toys are proportional and if their scale is accurate. They solve problems relating scale along with volume and surface area using manipulatives. The...
Teach Engineering
Android App Development
Building an accelerometer app for your Android device. Groups develop an app that uses the accelerometer on an Android device. The purpose of the activity is to reinforce the programming design. The post activity assessment challenges...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
Scientists use ice core samples to obtain temperatures of the earth from 400,000 years ago! The third of five lessons instructs pupils to interpret historical climate data to see changes over time. In part I, participants interpret...
Virginia Department of Education
Logarithmic Modeling
Explore logarithms and logarithmic regression. Young mathematicians first learn about inverse functions and about the logarithm function family. They take their newfound knowledge to use logarithmic functions to model situations and...
Statistics Education Web
I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me
Future statisticians and potential psychics first conduct an experiment to collect data on whether a person can tell if someone is staring at them. Statistical methods, such as hypothesis testing, chi-square tests, binomial tests, and...
Cornell University
Unknown Powders
Create a little scientific magic within your classroom! Learners mix powders and liquids and identify chemical reactions. Based on the reactions, individuals determine the identity of various powders.
Curated OER
Nuclear Chemistry Project
Radiation has numerous real-world applications, some of which are relatively safe while others can be extremely hazardous. In this nuclear chemistry project, young scientists choose a practical use of nuclear reactions to...
Federal Reserve Bank
The Case of the Shrunken Allowance
An allowance is an important thing! Make sure your kids know how to save and spend their own money. Using the book The Case of the Shrunken Allowance as a starting point, this plan covers income, spending and saving, counting, and more.
University of Utah
Geometry: Transformations, Congruence, and Similarity
Rigid motions are to congruence as what are to similarity? Investigate properties of rigid motions and define congruence in terms of rigid motions with the ninth chapter of a 10-part eighth grade workbook series. The...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate on Forest Succession
Part two in a series of four explores the effects of climate on succession or the changing of plant species in a forest. Groups review how to identify trees and then spend a day in the field collecting extensive data on trees to...
Curated OER
Pirate Plays
Students performing a scene about pirates and spend time making a measuring meters incorporating the main character, Captain Blood to add interest. They use meter sticks measuring items from the play and record their answers in meters.
Curated OER
Perimeter
Learners use their hands, feet, computer, and rulers to measure the perimeter of objects. For this measurement lesson plan, students measure objects around the room and computer generated shapes.
Curated OER
Math is Everywhere: Part 2
Second graders identify shapes and measurements in everyday life. In this measurement lesson, 2nd graders locate rectangles in their classroom and use standard and nonstandard forms to measure them. Students view a video clip...
Curated OER
The Home Stretch
Students read the novel Stone Fox by John Reynold Gardiner. Using Lego RCX units, students build and program sleds to re-enact the "home stretch" of the National Dog Sled Race.
Curated OER
Finding the Basal Area of a Forest Plot to Determine Stocking Levels
Students use graphs and plots to measure the basal area and stocking levels. In this graphing instructional activity students work in the field the use their data to help them complete a lab activity.
Curated OER
Estimation Zone
Young scholars explore estimation. They estimate distance, weight, temperature and elapsed time. Students record their estimates and justify their estimations wtih a written response. After estimating, young scholars take the actual...
Curated OER
Leaping Lemurs! How far can you jump?
Students watch a segment of the PBS video which show the lemurs' ability to jump. In pairs, students collect measurement data involving each other's length of a standard step, a standing broad jump, and a long jump. They record their...
Curated OER
Pounds and Ounces: It's All About Weight
First graders explore number sense by participating in a measurement estimation activity. In this weight lesson, 1st graders discuss the differences between measurement units, both English and Metric. Students examine a loaf of bread to...
Curated OER
Metric Conversions
Students translate a mathematical idea from one form to another. They compare and convert a given measurement to another unit within the same measurement system.
Curated OER
Metric Conversions
Students practice the fundamentals of converting metric measurements. They translate a mathematical idea from one form to another and compare and convert a given measurement to another unit within the same measurement system. Students...