Concord Consortium
Bill the Ball Bearing Man
Just how durable could a hollow ball bearing be? Learners model the strength of the walls of a ball bearing as a function of the radius of its cavity. They use their models to make reasonable conclusions about the probability of failure...
Concord Consortium
Broken Spreadsheet I
There is power in spreadsheet formulas and learners use this power to model quadratic data. Given a scatterplot of a parabola, pupils create formulas in a spreadsheet to populate the data. The formulas they use lead to an understanding...
Mascil Project
Closed Greenhouses
Controlling the efficiency of a greenhouse is a mathematical task. A collaborative project challenges learners to create an efficiency plan for a closed greenhouse. Using algebraic equations, they consider a set of constraints, design...
5280 Math
Interesting Times
Gain a little interest in functions with a real-life task. Young scholars analyze home loan data with a geometric sequence and series. They use the models to make predictions about the total loan payments at certain intervals in a useful...
5280 Math
Aquarium Equations
Take a look at linear functions in a new environment. A three-stage algebra project first asks learners to model the salt concentration of an aquarium using linear functions. Then, using iterations, pupils create a set of input-output...
American Statistical Association
Armspans
Young mathematicians collect data on the arm spans of classmates. Then they sort the data by measures of center, spread, and standard deviation. Finally, they compare groups, such as boys and girls, to interpret any differences.
American Statistical Association
What Fits?
The bounce of a golf ball changes the result in golf, mini golf—and a great math activity. Scholars graph the height of golf ball bounces before finding a line of best fit. They analyze their own data and the results of others to better...
Mascil Project
Arranging Tables for a Birthday
Planning a party of 45 guests may be more complicated than it would seem. Learners must design the space in accordance with these constraints about the space available in the room. They need to calculate area, circumference, and linear...
Mascil Project
Design a Parking Garage
Parking structures don't build themselves. Investigate the process of designing and planning the construction of a parking garage. After considering the factors that must go into the design, scholars create their own models from a set of...
101 Questions
Stacking Cups
Facilitate an understanding of equality using a modeling task. After watching different-sized cups being stacked, learners use their math skills to determine when the height of each cup tower will be the same. Meant as an introduction to...
101 Questions
Shower v. Bath
Which requires more water--a bath or a shower? Given some specific criteria, learners attempt to answer the question. A video shows how long it takes to fill a gallon container using a faucet and a shower head. Using that information and...
101 Questions
Joulies
Does your coffee get too cold too fast? Joulies just might be your answer! Learners use experimental data to make a conclusion about how effective Joulies are at keeping coffee at the ideal temperature. A video shows the graph of the...
Concord Consortium
All-in-All Problems
Graphs, functions, symbols, and more! Use these strategies to model everything from the flow of a river to the number of cars passing a toll booth. Presented differently but solved similarly, learners consider five different scenarios...
Concord Consortium
Be Well
How much do you spend on healthcare each year? Data shows the expenditures in the US rise significantly each year. Young scholars use the data to calculate a rate of change over a 30-year period and look for—as well as provide— possible...
Mascil Project
Container Logistics
Here's a creative lesson that lets pupils be creative as well! While considering many different factors, learners devise a plan to increase the efficiency of container shipments. The design of the activity encourages creative,...
101 Questions
Thanksgiving Taters
What would a meal be without the taters? The question is, how long does it take to peel those potatoes? Given the rate of peeling one potato, scholars predict the time it takes to peel the bag. The twist is that the first potato was...
101 Questions
Will It Hit The Hoop?
Basketball and math go hand in hand, even before one considers creating statistics. Viewers see a basketball player attempt multiple shots, but they do not see whether it goes in. They solve for which shots earned points as well as which...
101 Questions
Lunch
Traditional lamian, a noodle originating from China, is hand shaped by twisting, stretching, and folding the dough into strands. Scholars observe the technique before determining the length of the final noodle. They use exponential...
Kenan Fellows
Attack of the Aphids!
Insects threaten the food production industry, and aphids are one of the big players! Analyzing data of aphid populations gives insight into their behaviors. Learners model the population data of an uninhibited population with an...
Yummy Math
Penny Wars
As the saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned. Young scholars use a penny activity to earn their way to an understanding of volume. Given three different-sized cylindrical containers, individuals make calculations to determine the...
101 Questions
Fry's Bank
If money was left in an interest-earning account for 1,000 years, how much would it increase? Viewers watch a clip from a show about the future when someone learns about their balance after 1,000 years. Then, they solve for the amount in...
101 Questions
Pea Problem
Understanding volume means less mess in the kitchen. Viewers observe a can of peas and a small bowl. They must determine if all of the peas from the can fit into the bowl without spilling using volume formulas to solve the equation.
101 Questions
Downloading
Have you ever wanted to download a great lesson, but you weren't sure if you had enough time? Scholars learn to create a function for this situation to determine when a file will finish downloading. They also learn the difference between...
101 Questions
Stopping Distances
In 2016, one in every four fatal car crashes listed speeding as a contributing factor. Pupils view videos of a car trying to come to a quick stop from four different rates of speed. They use context clues to measure and determine the...