Howard Hughes Medical Institute
What van Leeuwenhoek Saw
When van Leeuwenhoek saw cells and single-celled organisms for the first time, he knew these small things were a big deal! Share his discoveries with young learners through a narrated video, model-building activity, and scale study....
Benjamin Banneker Association
Celebrate Benjamin Banneker
Inventor, astronomer, surveyor, mathematician, clock maker. Learners celebrate the life of Benjamin Banneker by building creative analog clocks, making scale models, and solving problems related to surveying. The activities model the...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Scale Factor
Does doubling mean everything doubles? Learners adjust the scale factor between two rectangles. Using the calculated measurements, pupils investigate the ratios between the lengths, perimeters, and areas of the rectangles.
Virginia Department of Education
Attributes of a Rectangular Prism
A change is coming. Pupils use unit cubes to investigate how changes in the length, width, and/or height affects volume and surface area. They extend the results to write and test predictions on the effect of changing multiple sides on...
EngageNY
Solving Area Problems Using Scale Drawings
Calculate the areas of scale drawings until a more efficient method emerges. Pupils find the relationship between the scale factor of a scale drawing and the scale of the areas. They determine the scale of the areas is the square of the...
EngageNY
Computing Actual Lengths from a Scale Drawing
The original drawing is eight units — how big is the scale drawing? Classmates determine the scale percent between a scale drawing and an object to calculate the length of a portion of the object. They use the percent equation to find...
Teach Engineering
Scale Model Project
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...
Noyce Foundation
Surrounded and Covered
What effect does changing the perimeter have on the area of a figure? The five problems in the resource explore this question at various grade levels. Elementary problems focus on the perimeter of rectangles and irregular figures with...
EngageNY
End-of-Module Assessment Task: Grade 7 Mathematics Module 4
Asses the class to determine their knowledge of proportional relationships involving percents. Class members work through the nine-question assessment with a variety of percent problems. The multi-step problems involve simple interest,...
EngageNY
The Scale Factor as a Percent for a Scale Drawing
Scholars build upon their knowledge of scale drawings by using percents to represent the scale factor. Individuals work with scaling in vertical, horizontal, and both directions.
EngageNY
Changing Scales
Pupils determine scale factors from one figure to another and the scale factor in the reverse direction. Scholars compute the percent changes between three figures.
EngageNY
The Unit Rate as the Scale Factor
Discover the scale factor by finding the constant of proportionality. Pupils investigate drawings to determine whether the distances are proportional. The activity defines the scale factor as the constant of proportionality, or unit...
Mathed Up!
Mixed Transformations
Viewers learn how to identify and perform a variety of transformations with a video that provides seven items on transformations. Pupils demonstrate their understanding of dilations, reflections, rotations, and translations. The video...
Mathed Up!
Enlargements
Make enlargements with and without centers. Pupils work through seven problems dealing with dilations or enlargements. The first couple items are strict enlargements without centers, while the others have centers. Class members also...
EngageNY
An Exercise in Changing Scales 2
Reflect on altering scale factors. The last lesson in the series of 22 has the class compare the two scale drawings they created. They realize that the scale drawing becomes a scale drawing of each other. Class members continue to work...
EngageNY
An Exercise in Creating a Scale Drawing
Design your dream classroom. The lesson plan contains an exercise to have teams create a scale drawing of their dream classroom. Pairs take the measurements of their classroom and furniture and create a scale factor for them. To finish...
EngageNY
Computing Actual Areas from a Scale Drawing
Square the scale factor when working with scaled drawings and area. The 19th lesson in a series of 22 introduces calculating actual areas from scale drawings. The lesson encourages pupils to use the square of the scale factor to find the...
EngageNY
Relating Scale Drawings to Ratios and Rates
Enlargements and reductions are all about scale. The instructional activity introduces scale drawing to the class. Pupils determine whether the drawing is a reduction or an enlargement, and the constant of proportionality between the...
Mathed Up!
Negative Scale Factor
Class members investigate the effect of a negative scale factor dilation on coordinate shapes as they watch a short video that shows an example of a geometric figure undergoing a dilation with a negative scale factor. Learners then try a...
EngageNY
An Exercise in Changing Scales
Classmates create a scale drawing from another scale drawing, changing the scale in the process. Groups enlarge or reduce the scale of the drawing and discuss their processes.
EngageNY
Computing Actual Lengths from a Scale Drawing
Class members take scale drawings and examine scales to determine distances in the actual objects. Pupils convert the scales of different units to scale factors that can be used in proportional equations.
EngageNY
End-of-Module Assessment Task - Grade 8 Mathematics (Module 3)
Everything the class knows about similarity in one small package. The last portion of a 16-part series is a three-question assessment. In it, pupils demonstrate their application of similar figures and their associated...
EngageNY
Dilations on the Coordinate Plane
Dilations from the origin have a multiplicative effect on the coordinates of a point. Pupils use the method of finding the image of a point on a ray after a dilation to find a short cut. Classmates determine the short cut of being...
EngageNY
First Consequences of FTS
Challenge the young mathematicians to find the exact coordinates of a dilated point. The fifth segment in a 16-part series introduces the class to the converse of the Fundamental Theorem of Similarity. Scholars use the theorem to...