Rewrite a quadratic function to easily see the transformations involved. The instructional task takes a general quadratic function and rewrites it into a form that shows the translations and scaling of the parent quadratic function. The...

Use 2x2 matrices to move along a line. The second day of a two-day lesson is the 28th installment in a 32-part unit. Pupils work together to create and solve systems of equations that will map a transformation to a given...

Capture the engagement of young mathematicians with this upper-elementary math lesson on measuring time and distance. Using Google Maps, students first measure and compare the distance and time it takes to travel between different...

Extensive reading is done in order to learn about scanning probe microscopy and nanoscale. Afterward, individuals use a pencil to probe an unidentified object that is inside of a box so that they cannot see it. Using only what they could...

Stimulate interest in ocean currents with a simulation. The first installment of a five-part middle school series teaches future oceanographers about the forces that interact to cause ocean currents. A simulation shows how wind and...

Does concentration affect the rate of a chemical reaction? Science scholars observe and control a chemical reaction in an interactive simulation. The resource allows pupils to add atoms to the reaction vessel and monitor the reaction's...

Add a visual aid to your solar system lessons. Enthusiastic astronomers create a model depicting the nine planets and their distance from the sun. 

Just this once, it's okay to throw things in class. Out of craft sticks and rubber bands, pupils build catapults to launch an object of choice. This can be a ping-pong ball, a marshmallow, or any other small item. As long as it hits the...

Three main factors determine the wave height experienced in the ocean. Scholars use a virtual simulator to alter wind speed, fetch, and duration. Each combination creates a unique wave measured in significant height.

Science, technology, and math come together in this one combination exercise. Analyzing the common soda can from both a purely mathematical perspective and a scientific angle allows for a surprisingly sophisticated comparison of...

Where is NASA going next with their rockets? A reading provides an overview of the next generation of rockets for space exploration. A full-page diagram gives the reader a scaled perspective of what this rocket may look like, for both...

An intersection is more than just the point where lines intersect; explain this and the meaning of the intersection to your class. The 26th segment in a 33-part series uses graphing to solve systems of equations. Pupils graph linear...

A cork, a rubber snake, and a bucket of mud may not seem like the best materials for washing a car, but they are in The Twits. The fifth lesson in an 11-part unit designed to accompany The Twits by Roald Dahl has readers role play...

Students demonstrate the process of creating a scaled rubber band enlargement of a simple drawing. They observe and discuss a teacher-led demonstration, and create a scaled rubber band enlargement of simple drawings and their invention...

Pupils practice drawing geometric figures. In this geometry lesson, learners complete an activity that requires them to draw angles and shapes to the nearest degree.

Classmates solve 18 different problems that are mostly word problems that apply algebraic expressions. They draw different combinations of masses on a scale that would balance. They also simplify expressions and solve for x in a number...

"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...

The Galle crater on Mars is also known as the Happy Face crater because of its appearance. First, scholars use pebbles and flour to simulate craters and study their properties. They then apply this knowledge to help decipher the history...

Designed as an assessment of understanding, this one-page worksheet asks musicians to demonstrate their understanding of scales by drawing C, G, and F Major scales on the provided staffs. 

Do you ever think about what it takes for an artist to create a larger-than-life sculpture? Kids examine the piece, Scottish Angus Cow and Calf as it relates to scale, scale conversion, and artistic craft. They then use scale conversions...

Fifth graders complete an exercise that introduces them to Moh's scale of mineral hardness. The scale is presented on the instructional activity, and learners answer three questions which have them assign a hardness rating based on some...

It's the stairway to learning! Scholars research all aspects of building a staircase. Using information from building codes, they write and graph a system of inequalities to analyze the constraints. The completed project is a scale model...

In 2006, New Horizons began its mission to fly to Pluto. As it continues its journey, scholars track its progress with the help of an informative website, all the while reinforcing measurement concepts with the construction of a scaled...

Thoroughly written, this plan walks you through every detail of having your high school astronomers design scale models of the solar system. Complete instructions on building to scale, lesson procedures, and associated worksheets are all...