Let's Get Linear

If Earth is modeled by a grapefruit, what planet could be represented by a golf ball? This activity uses everyday and not-so-everyday objects to create a model of the Solar System.

How do you create a residual plot? Work as a class and in small groups through the activity in order to learn how to build a residual plot. The activity builds upon previous learning on calculating residuals and serves as a...

There's a function for that! Scholars examine real-world situations to determine which type of function would best model the data in the 23rd installment of a 35-part module. It involves considering the nature of the data in addition to...

Potty humor is always a big hit with the school-age crowd, and potty algebra takes this topic to a whole new level. Here the class develops a model that connects the dimensions (radii, paper thickness, and length of paper) of a...

Connect the size of a rolling cup to the size of circle it makes. Pupils view videos of cups of different sizes rolling in a circle. Using the videos and additional data, they attempt to determine a relationship between cup...

What is the appropriate model? Sample problems show the extent of the Smarter Balanced assessments Claim 4, Modeling and Data Analysis. Items provide pupils the opportunity to use mathematical modeling to arrive at a reasonable answer....

What's my line, anyway? A video covers the aspects of finding an equation of the best-fit line for a set of data. It works through plotting the points to drawing a line that appears to represent the data. The presenter suggests finding...

It's not magic, it's math! Observe as a collection of points becomes a line. Scholars watch as a video instructor creates a table of values to graph linear equations. Examples include equations in both slope-intercept and standard forms.

There are rabbits, rabbits, rabbits everywhere. Not this group of rabbits. Use a table to find some x and y values to create a graph to solve this word problem. It's a rather peculiar word problem in that it is trying to find when a...

There's just something special about lines in algebra. Introduce your classes to linear equations by analyzing the linear relationship. Young mathematicians use input/output pairs to determine the slope and the slope-intercept formula to...