Build-A-Math

Finally, the final floor plan. The 11th installment of a 15-part series looks at floor plans for houses. Scholars try their hand at creating a scale drawing for the floor plan of their dream houses.

Provide a meaningful context for learning about the division of fractions with this upper-elementary math lesson. Presented with a simple, real-world problem, young mathematicians work in small groups to develop visual models that help...

Building blocks have more uses than simply entertaining children. Young mathematicians calculate the volume of a given cube, and then calculate the volume and surface area of a prism formed from multiple cubes.

What's the best way to learn how watersheds work? Build one! Combining engineering, the water cycle, and ecology concerns, the activity is the perfect fit for an interdisciplinary unit. Teams construct a model watershed with simple...

Expand your pupils' vocabulary! Learn how to use statistical vocabulary regarding linear models. The instructional activity teaches scholars the appropriate terminology for bivariate data analysis. To complete the module, individuals use...

Learners design and build model houses, with an emphasis on waterproof roofs. They perform tests to see if their models are as waterproof as they think.

Try your hand at scale models. Scholars create a scale model of an object using a scale factor of their choice. As part of the project, they give presentations on their processes and calculations. This is the last installment of the...

Here is a six-minute video of a pair of electrical engineers that illustrate how to build a wind turbine. A list of materials is provided, along with general guidelines for your class. Use this to introduce turbine design to your...

Students explore the use of design principles in the real world. They evaluate how problems can be solved using design principles. In groups, students design the floor plan for a building of their choice.

Teams take their cavern designs and build a model from clay or paper mache that can be buried in sand. Testing involves dropping a bowling ball on the buried cavern. Teams dig out their cavern, inspect it for damage, and consider...