Radford University
At the Gas Pump
Given the price of crude oil, gasoline, and diesel for the past several years, pupils plot the data to determine whether a correlation exists. Learners determine a regression line and predict the price of gasoline and diesel in the...
Radford University
Box-and-Whisker Activity
Think inside the box. Working in small groups, pupils design a study to answer comparing two data sets. Team members collect data and construct box-and-whisker plots and analyze them to prove or disprove their hypothesis. They develop...
Radford University
The Normal Distribution Activity
For whom does the bell fit? Pupils begin by working in groups gather data on three different variables. They then determine the mean and standard deviation of each data set and create bell curves. To finish, they answer guiding questions...
Radford University
Are We Normal?
Develop a sense of normal. Learners develop two questions to ask classmates to gather numerical data before creating a box and whisker plot and a histogram to display their data. Class members make inferences and investigate the data...
Radford University
I Want to Rock!
Find the best deal on music. Small groups create playlists of music and determine the cost based on different pricing structures. They determine whether the pricing structure represents a direct or inverse variation relationship by...
Radford University
Tuition Cost Activity
Can I afford to go to college? Small groups design a method to research college tuition for several years and make a prediction of costs in 2025. Classmates plot the the data on a scatter plot and graph the line of best fit to make their...
Radford University
Can I Create a Line/Curve of Best Fit to Model Water Drainage?
Learners collect data on the amount of water left in a bottle over time. They graph the data to determine whether the scatter plot shows a curved or straight relationship. Group members then determine an equation for the curve of best...
Radford University
What is My Standing Height Wise?
Given a scenario in which a class member wants to prove his height is not an outlier, pairs devise a plan and gather evidence to help support his claim. The small groups implement their plans and create graphical displays of their data...
Radford University
Picturing Lines
Slopes are everywhere—even in houses! Given a picture of a house, learners find lines with positive, negative, zero, and no slopes. Scholars determine the equation of the lines by calculating the slopes and y-intercepts. Class members...
Radford University
Pizza, Pizza!
Ponder the problem of pizza prices. Pupils use provided information about two different pricing schedules for pizza. They create tables of values and functions to represent the pricing schemes, consider domain restrictions, and identify...
Radford University
Regression Analysis Activity
Don't let your knowledge of regression analysis regress. Pupils take part in three activities to learn about regression curves. They research and collect data to predict how long it will take a basketball to hit the ground, find a...
Radford University
Green Cravings
Build up a bag of green. Pupils determine the number of green Skittles in a snack bag and come up with a way to determine how many snack bags it would take to create one bag of only green Skittles. Classmates share their methods and...
Radford University
Surface Area of Boxes
Explore surface area out of the box. Pairs investigate surface area by measuring two boxes and calculating the area of each side. Classmates trace one of the boxes onto butcher paper and create a net with the same area. Groups then...
Radford University
Alpaca Lunch
Feed the need for knowledge. Future mathematicians first consider how the lateral area of a rectangular prism relates to its volume. They then design a container for alpaca food that has the maximum volume possible from a given sheet of...
Radford University
Confetti Task
Using the net of a can, learners develop formulas for the surface area and volume of a cylinder. They then apply their formulas to solve problems about a cylindrical container used to disperse confetti.
Radford University
Sand Castle
Don't let the task slip through your fingers like sand. Scholars design sand castles using hemispheres, pyramids, cones, and cylinders of different sizes. They calculate the volume and surface area and consider how changing the...
Radford University
How Do I Design a Raised Bed Garden to Accommodate My Plants?
Give plants the best place to grow. Given constraints on plant spacing, pupils design a raised bed garden using graph paper, then calculate the perimeter, surface area, and volume. They use the provided costs of lumber and soil to...
Radford University
Coal Silo Design Task
The coal is mined. Now what? Scholars design a coal silo that stores mined earth using at least two different three-dimensional shapes. They calculate the volume, determine the amount of mined earth produced in a day, and find the amount...
Radford University
Exploring Coal Pillar Mining
Coal mines can be a gold mine of math applications. After reading some basic information on coal mining, learners draw blueprints of a coal pillar in the shape of a composite figure. They find the volume of material from the coal pillar...
Radford University
Choosing the Best Cylinders
Don't be fooled: the taller glass doesn't always hold the most. Given the dimensions of different cylindrical containers for beverages and popcorn, pupils calculate the volumes. They see how changing the dimensions affects the volume and...
Radford University
Lemonade Business - Investigating Surface Area and Volume of Containers
Boost lemonade sales by using the perfect container. For a given volume, future entrepreneurs design a container that will have the least surface area and by extension, the least cost of material. They create a two-dimensional net of...
Radford University
Swimming Pool Dilemma
Different shape, same volume—that's quite a challenge! Scholars design a pool for an imaginary client using three-dimensional figures. They must then create a second pool for another client with the same volume, but using different shapes.
Radford University
Take a Trip
Leave all your travels needs to the math department. Pupils apply knowledge of triangles to identify a triangular path for a traveler to take. They use a given distance for the second leg of the trip and a constraint on the length of the...
Radford University
Triangle Inequality Task
Not all triangles are created equal. A simple hands-on activity has learners investigate the side lengths of triangles. They use pipe cleaners to determine whether triangles of given side lengths can exist and then use the results to...