K20 LEARN
Chicken Truck: Writing Algebraic Expressions
How did the chicken travel down the road? Given a picture of a chicken truck, class members brainstorm what information they need to determine the total number of chickens on the truck. Pupils research for the information and devise a...
Beyond Benign
Shampoozled—Part 1: Formula Calculation
Time for your classes to show off what they've learned! The 11th installment in the series of 24 uses concepts learned in the previous 10 lessons to create the perfect shampoo formula. Their formulas consider both sustainability and...
PBS
Take It in Stride
One step at a time, pupils practice their measurement techniques as they analyze their stride length. They design their own procedures for measuring and relate their stride measurements to the distance traveled by making calculations.
Bowland
Hot Under the Collar
It is close enough for all practical purposes. Pupils see two methods to convert degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, one with exact numbers and another using estimation. Learners review both methods and determine when the estimation...
Radford University
Google Earth Trip
A trip around the world sounds nice, but for now we'll just have to make do with Google Earth. Pupils use pictures of landmarks to apply geometry concepts. They determine whether each building has bilateral or rotational symmetry, search...
Radford University
Fun with Solids
Geometry is all around us—if we're only willing to look. The final three activities of the Fun with Solids unit continue work on surface area and volume. For lesson three, scholars investigate the formulas for spheres and solve a problem...
Concord Consortium
Sloppy Student II
Doesn't trying two substitutions prove it is equal? Individuals analyze a given polynomial division problem to determine whether the answer is correct. Classmates continue to determine what values to use that show the answer and the...
Mathed Up!
Changing the Subject of a Formula
What to do with more than one variable? Part of a larger series, the video shows how to solve a formula for another variable. Pupils solve equations with more than one variable for a given variable of interest. Problems include linear,...
Concord Consortium
Square-Ness
Are there some rectangles that are more square than others? A thought-provoking task asks individuals to create a formula that objectifies the square-ness of a set of rectangles. They then use their formulas to rank a set of rectangles.
Concord Consortium
Boards II
Build spreadsheet skills while investigating decimal multiplication. An open-ended task asks learners to edit a spreadsheet to create a multiplication table for decimals. Provided with a specific interval, pupils create formulas that...
Concord Consortium
Boards I
Learners create patterns in a table to mimic the function of an electronic spreadsheet. The result is a table that creates an addition table for decimals in intervals of one-tenth. While creating the pattern, pupils must thoroughly...
5280 Math
Step by Step
One step at a time! A seemingly linear relationship becomes an entirely new type of function. Young scholars build their understanding of step functions by completing a three-stage activity that incorporates multiple representations of...
5280 Math
Stories That Formulas Tell
Learn the stories a formula holds. An interesting lesson takes a unique approach to teach how to use formulas. Beginning with a formula, learners predict what the variables stand for and then use the formula to make calculations and tell...
101 Questions
Best Circle
Drawing the perfect circle is harder than one would think! What makes a circle a circle and how can you define that with a formula? Young mathematicians devise their own methods of analyzing the imperfections of circle drawings. Using...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Solving Formulas for the Given Variable
Recycle, reuse, and rearrange! Young scholars learn to rearrange formulas to highlight a variable of interest. They then use their new formulas to make calculations.
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Arithmetic Series
Fall for a series. Learners determine how to find out how far a skydiver falls in the first 20 seconds. The Algebra II lesson introduces the idea of adding up the terms of an arithmetic sequence. Pupils learn how to use Sigma notation to...
CK-12 Foundation
Explicit Formulas: Tiles for Writing nth Term in a Sequence
Build an explicit formula using tiles. Pupils develop a tile representation of a term within a sequence given figures of previous terms. Using the diagrams, learners develop the explicit formula by recognizing the common difference and...
CK-12 Foundation
Linear Equations: Temperature Transitions
Explore linear conversions using an engaging interactive lesson. Learners drag a point on a graph to discover the equivalent degrees in Fahrenheit and Celsius. Embedded questions highlight key features such as slope and the y-intercept.
Bowels Physics
Projectile Motion
Hit a bullseye with an engaging presentation about the components of projectile motion. Viewers see how horizontal and vertical motion combine to create the parabolic path of projectile motion.
Virginia Department of Education
Distance and Midpoint Formulas
Small groups work through two guided activities to derive the distance and midpoint formulas for the coordinate plane. The activities begin with concrete examples and move to abstract.
Intel
Pedal Power
Show your classes the importance of mathematics in something as simple as bicycle design. The final lesson in the six-part STEM series has each group research a different aspect of the bicycle. Learners use mathematical formulas, linear...
Virginia Department of Education
Solve for the Unknown
How can shapes help solve literal equations? Scholars first learn to replace variables with shapes to aid in solving literal equations. A worksheet of practice problems helps hone the skill.
Balanced Assessment
Sharp-Ness
Transform pupils into mathematicians as they create their own definitions and formulas. Scholars examine an assortment of triangles and create a definition and formula for determining the sharpness of the vertex angle. The groups of...
Inside Mathematics
Party
Thirty at the party won't cost any more than twenty-five. The assessment task provides a scenario for the cost of a party where the initial fee covers a given number of guests. The class determines the cost for specific numbers of guests...