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Performance
Radford University

Kite Project

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Let the class' knowledge of geometry soar like the kites they create. After researching the history and science of kites, learners draw up a blueprint for their own kites. They then calculate the areas and perimeters based on the scale...
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Performance
Radford University

Trouble in the Orchard

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's no fun catching a fungus. Scholars first investigate how the seasons affect the angle of the sun and the lengths of shadows. They then apply right triangle trigonometry to determine the height of trees based on their shadows to...
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Performance
Radford University

REALLY Tall!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Conduct indirect measurements three ways. Working in groups, pupils come up with different ways to measure three tall objects indirectly. The teacher provides measurement information requested by the teams, and learners then calculate...
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Performance
Radford University

The Roanoke Adventure!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Travel about town. Pupils work in pairs to find the distances between landmarks with a map. The teams determine how far to travel on the streets and the length between the landmarks with the distance formula and compare the two. Learners...
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Performance
Radford University

Your School’s Athletic Director Needs Your Mathematical Input!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Cover the field. Pairs investigate two different rolls of astroturf to cover a football field. The learners determine which type of roll is the most cost effective. Scholars write letters to the athletic director explaining their...
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Performance
Radford University

How do I Prepare this Piece of Floor Tile to Lay on the Bottom of my Kitchen Sink Cabinet?

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How can you place a rectangular tile around a pipe? Scholars first use a model of a kitchen sink cabinet to take measurements. Using a compass and their knowledge of circles, they then cut out a circle from a piece of poster board (which...
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Performance
Radford University

Ancient Aqueduct Analysis Project

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Let the class' knowledge of geometry flow like water in an aqueduct. Future mathematicians research ancient Roman aqueducts and consider the geometric concepts necessary in their construction. They then use GeoGebra to create models of...
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Performance
Radford University

Build-a-Toy

For Teachers 8th Standards
Don't toy with using a fun lesson. Scholars design new toys and then create scale drawings. They determine the volume and surface area of the toys, and then research prices of raw materials to estimate the manufacturing costs.
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Performance
Radford University

Streets of Stephens City

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Who has the best street smarts? An educational lesson has future mathematicians analyze street maps and measure angles on the map to determine if streets are parallel. They also consider safety issues at different types of intersections.
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Performance
Radford University

Properties of Different Quadrilaterals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Properly apply the properties of parallelograms. Pupils answer a set of questions designed to review the categories of quadrilaterals. They then identify the shape in each set of quadrilaterals that does not belong and explain why.
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Performance
Radford University

How Much is in There? A Polygon Investigation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Try to find the triangles in various polygons. An investigation has learners develop a formula for the sum of the measures of the interior angles of a polygon. They use manipulatives to partition each polygon into triangles, then...
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Performance
Radford University

Koi Pond

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
There's nothing fishy about the activity. Future mathematicians design a koi pond from various three-dimensional shapes. They calculate the perimeter, area, and volume of the pond, and then create PowerPoint presentations. They also...
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Performance
Radford University

Triangles in Parallelograms

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What's the point of looking at triangles when trying to draw parallelograms? Given three non-collinear points, pupils determine and justify all possible points that would create a parallelogram. They then analyze the four triangles that...
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Performance
Radford University

Parallel Lines Task

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Transform the classroom into a coordinate plane. Scholars walk along parallel lines drawn on a coordinate plane on the classroom floor. They measure angles and slopes and use the results to develop criteria that would make the lines...
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Performance
Radford University

Beach House

For Teachers 6th Standards
What's the best way to make a beach house affordable? Given constraints on the number of rooms and the cost of flooring, learners design dream beach houses. They draw floor plans and calculate the areas using different units.
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Unit Plan
Radford University

The Ultimate Kitchen Renovation

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Cook up a nice new kitchen. Future designers apply quadrilaterals to design a new kitchen floor. They create a tessellation and determine the area of the pattern. As an added component and real-world application, they must stick to a...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

The Pythagorean Theorem in Crime Scene Investigation

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
It's a Pythagorean who-dun-it. Pupils apply the Pythagorean Theorem in several different real-world scenarios involving right triangles. By solving each task, they find the thief who was responsible for a museum heist.
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Parallel Lines Cut By a Transversal

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Perhaps planning a city isn't so difficult after all. Scholars first perform geometric constructions and investigate how parallel lines are useful in real-world situations. They then work on a city design project, drawing street maps,...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Green Acres is the Place to Be!

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Nurture a love of math and farming at the same time. Pupils apply geometry concepts, such as surface area and volume of three-dimensional shapes and similarity ratios, to farming contexts. They consider the dimensions of bales of hay,...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Being Green – Minimizing the Surface Area of a Soda Can

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Save the world by designing a new soda can! Learners first measure the dimensions of a typical soda can and calculate its surface area and volume. They then use spreadsheet software to minimize the surface area for the volume, thus...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Google Earth Trip

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Travel the world instantly—and learn about math along the way. Using pictures of famous places taken from Google Earth, scholars look for parallel and perpendicular lines based on slope and angle measurements. They also calculate...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Surface Area and Volume

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Who knew there were pyramids in China? Learners apply surface area and volume formulas to several different real-world situations. They calculate the volume and surface area of an aquarium, an ice cream cone, and Egyptian and Chinese...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Fun with Solids

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Unlike a volcano, the lesson won't blow up in your face. Young mathematicians use dried beans to discover the relationship between the volumes of cones and cylinders and to write a formula for the volume of a cone. They then research...
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Unit Plan
Radford University

Building a House

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Ever dream of becoming an architect? Here's your chance to give it a try. After reviewing facts about triangles and quadrilaterals, pupils learn about the basics of architecture by talking to an architect or housing expert. They use...