West Contra Costa Unified School District
The Power of Ten: Building a Magnitude Model
Add visual representation to teaching place value with a magnitude model. Using adding machine tape, pupils build a linear place value strip from 1 to 100.
Curated OER
Making Models of the Solar System
Students make several models of the solar system to learn the positions of the planets in the solar system as well as relative distances and sizes. Creation of these models will help them identify the planets by size, shape, color,...
California Academy of Science
Modeling Eclipses with Size and Distance Scales
Size within the solar system is a difficult thing for pupils to imagine. Using everyday objects, they build models to show the scale between the sun, moon, and Earth. They situate their props in proportional distances between the objects...
Curated OER
Problem Solving: Draw a Diagram
This problem solving PowerPoint presents a detailed, logical sequence of steps to follow in order to solve a story problem. The thinking processes described are given in text and represented by a visual model. After discussing the...
Curated OER
Exploring Scale And Ratio
Students measure the actual size and distance of the solar system using scale and ratio. They watch and discuss a video, create a distance-scale solar system model, and compare the scale sizes of planets to their actual sizes.
Curated OER
Pacing a Gunther Chain
Students pace a Gunther Chain, a measurement used by foresters to determine distance and area. They discuss that pacing is individualized depending on age, gender, etc. They practice to find an average pace. Teams estimate, pace and...
Curated OER
What is a Wheel and Axle?
Stuents explore wheels and axles and how they maka machine move. After a teacher demonstration, students construct a wheel and axle. Students explore the circumference of the wheel. They compare the wheel sizes, speed, distance, and load...
Curated OER
Principles of Flight: Flying Paper Airplanes
Learners investigate ways to enhance an object's flying ability. In this model construction lesson, students construct two paper airplanes, one of which is twice as big as the first. Learners compare and contrast the two separate...
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Problem Solving with Fractions
Solve story problems using fractions or decimals. Then, determine the reasonableness of answers using estimation.The detailed instructional activity includes essential questions, vocabulary, a materials list, and links to related units.
Curated OER
Prisms, Pyramids, and Nets
Students compare and contrast the characteristics of prisms and pyramids. In groups, they are given different colored construction paper to make rectanglar prisms. They identify the shapes of the faces and record the number of faces,...
University of Houston
Volume for Rectangular Prisms
Upper graders define perimeter and area of a rectangle, estimate numbers of cubes and determine the maximum amount that will fit in a given space. In this math lesson, pupils complete related worksheet, build prisms and find volume and...
Curated OER
Equivalent Fractions Manipulatives
Young scholars study fractions. In this equivalent fractions activity, students utilize fraction strips to enhance their understanding of equivalent fractions. They watch a demonstration and then work independently with their own set of...
Illustrative Mathematics
Running to School
The object of this activity is to compute how far Rosa ran to school. Given in the exercise is the fractional number of miles between home and school and the fractional distance Rosa ran. The commentary shows several ways to have your...
Curated OER
LESS THAN ZERO
Upper graders study how to extend a vertical number line to include negative numbers; order numbers on the number line; and find the distance between numbers on a number line. They will begin with a game using dice to explore...
Fraction Bars
Solving Word Problems - Whole Numbers Times Fractions
An impressive lesson plan where pupils visualize models and solve problems involving multiplying a whole number times a fraction. Fraction bars are used to help learners truly understand what's happening during this mathematical process....
NASA
How Far Away Is Space?
Space is about 60 miles from the surface of Earth. Pupils make calculations to model that distance by stacking coins the appropriate height using scale. They then explore the distance to objects in space such as satellites and the space...
Curated OER
Distance over Time
Students analyze velocity and how it is determined. They experiment with velocity in order to measure and calculate the magnitude of speed. They use examples in their novel "Skateboard Renegade" to relate velocity to real life situations.
New York City Department of Education
Chris’ Garden Dilemma
Make the connections between area, tiling, and multiplication. A performance task and associated unit presents the concept of area and makes the connection to multiplication. Pupils work through three major sections of instruction that...
Curated OER
Cutting Up in Class, Fractal Style
Learners create three-dimension models demonstrating exponents, multiplying and dividing of fractions, and the use of repeating patterns in tessellations, mirror images, and tiling.
Curated OER
Space: Our Star, the Sun, and Its Friends, the Planets
Students examine the solar system. In this space lesson, students identify the order of the planets and their relative size to the sun. Students create a scale model of our solar system using a variety of household objects.
New York City Department of Education
Isabella’s Garden
Create rows and rows of vegetables. Pupils use their knowledge of multiplication to find the number of vegetable shoots planted in a garden and ways to arrange the vegetables in the performance task. Teachers use the suggested unit...
Curated OER
Universal Proportions: Earth and Moon
Students create scale models of Earth, the Moon, and the distances within the universe. Working in groups, they construct their models of Earth and the Moon on a scale of 50:1 and calculate how far apart to place their models. They...
Curated OER
The Mathematical Fingerprint of Our Solar System
Young scholars study the beautiful mathematical model unique to our solar system.
Curated OER
Map Your House
Students are introduced to the concepts of maps as scale models of the whole. After a brief lecture on creating and using an accurate scale when drawing and reading a map. They create a scale drawing of the floorplan of their homes.