Curated OER
How do You Stack Up? Revisited
Students estimate the thickness of coins. In this stack up lesson, students stack pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. They calculate and record the thickness of each coin. Students stack coins and estimate the height of the stack.
Curated OER
Currency Exchange
Learners investigate the currency exchange rate. In this middle school mathematics lesson plan, student use proportions to exchange between the U.S. dollar and the euro. Students come up with a product they would like to buy and...
Curated OER
Math on a Roll
Young scholars practice various math skills using a polyhedral die. In this dice game lesson plan, students practice multiplication, addition, place value, and money using games. Standard dice may be used instead of a polyhedral die...
Illustrative Mathematics
Buying Gas
A quick problem to test your middle schoolers' knowledge of dividing with decimals. Also a good practice of unit rates, they must compute the cost of one gallon of gas when given the total amount for a fill up. Can be used as a preface...
Curated OER
Ancient Story Problems
Pupils research ancient civilizations, and develop story problems using symbols and coins from those times. They retell these story problems using modern terms and coins.
Curated OER
How Do You Double Your Money?
Students understand how to calculate the return on investments for various rates and lengths. Also, they compare their results with the StocksQuest Calculator, which lists calculations year by year.
Curated OER
How Many Pennies?
Middle schoolers estimate the number of pennies it takes to fill outlines of various basic shapes.
Curated OER
Stock Swaps, Variation 2
If Microsoft wanted to take over Apple, how many shares would they need to break even? This is an ideal task for seventh graders who are studying proportional relationships and applying them to real-world scenarios. Use it as an...
Illustrative Mathematics
Sports Equipment Set
Many students like to play sports and the equipment that goes with it costs money. The resource sets up an inequality that gives a total amount needed to purchase the equipment and the initial amount of money already obtained. In order...
Curated OER
Stock Swaps, Variation 3
More on the fictitious takeover of the Apple Corporation by Microsoft. For this scenario, Microsoft has $28.00 per share to spare, so how many do they need to offer to make an even trade? This is an engaging problem to solve when...
Illustrative Mathematics
Setting Goals
Setting financial goals is a common occurrence in middle school that your learners can practice using this activity. They will be able to solve for how many hours Seth needs to work to save up for a skateboard, helmet, and trip. The...
Actis
Handling Data: Probability, Tree Diagrams
Clean, but captivating, two online simulations demonstrate probability for middle schoolers. They can choose the number of coins and tosses and watch as the results pile up. They can choose from a variety of spinner types and the number...
Illustrative Mathematics
Summer Swimming
Here is a real-world application for systems of equations. When is it better to pay an enrollment fee and lower daily rate, and when is it better to pay the regular price? The local swim center is having a special offer, reductions in...
Illustrative Mathematics
Heads or Tails
Heads! A great way to practice probability is to flip a coin in class. The provided data allows your mathematicians to predict the probability of heads in ten coin flips. Bring coins to class and allow your own trial of heads or tails....
Illustrative Mathematics
Gotham City Taxis
Taxi! Have your travelers figure out how far they can go in a taxi for $10.00. They must account for the mileage rate and tip in their calculation. They can set up a table or make an equation to solve for the exact mileage they can...
Curated OER
Chances Are...
Students examine the probability of an event. In this probability lesson, students determine whether it is likely that an event will occur in coin flipping activities. They work with two and four coins, and one die in three different...
Curated OER
Show Me the Money
Pupils investigate financial applications of mathematics in this mathematics lesson. They will investigate equations that represent a company’s income, expense, and profit functions and use those equations to identify break even points...
National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
Nuclear Popcorn
Make your lesson on radioactive decay pop with this lab exercise. Using popcorn kernels spread over a tabletop, participants pick up all of those that point toward the back of the room, that is, those that represent decayed atoms. As the...
Curated OER
Calculating Profits from Selling Virtual Lemonade
Students set up and collect data for a virtual lemonade stand. In this entrepreneurship, economics, and technology instructional activity, students purchase ingredients, determine costs, and set up a virtual lemonade stand. Students...
Curated OER
Budgeting 101
Students identify various sources of income and discern between needs and wants as they also learn to create a personal budget. In this personal budget lesson, student understand financial scenarios as they relate to different ways...
Illustrative Mathematics
Walk-a-thon 1
Your mathematician's job is to explore the relationship between hours and miles walked during a walk-a-thon. The activity compels your learners to experiment with different means in finding out this proportional relationship. The answer...
Illustrative Mathematics
Walk-a-thon 2
During a walk-a-thon your learners must determine the walking rate of Julianna's progress. Using tables, graphs, and an equation, they must be able to calculate the time it took her to walk one mile and predict her distance based on the...
Curated OER
"A Grain of Rice" by Helena Clare Pittman
Middle schoolers solve the problem that comes up in the story. They realize the explosive growth of the powers of 2.
Curated OER
Coin Drop
Students calculate the theoretical and empirical probability by dropping coins on a grid. They record their data and compare the theoretical and empirical data. Students make predictions about the results before conducting the experiment.