Council for Economic Education
Preparing a 1040EZ Income Tax Form
Some of us never feel like we know how to do our taxes! Help scholars understand the process early by using an informative resource. They fill out their own tax forms in a simulation activity and view multiple resources to learn even...
101 Questions
Sacre Coeur Funicular
Rise to the challenge of trigonometry. Watching a video of an ascending funicular at the Sacre Coeur in Paris sets the stage for a challenging task. Young mathematicians use a given diagram, along with the concepts of slope and...
101 Questions
Laying Sod
Lay out a firm understanding of trigonometry. Scholars watch a video recording of a worker laying sod on a lawn. Given the dimensions of each piece of sod and the lawn, they determine how many pieces of sod are necessary. Trigonometry...
101 Questions
Catcher to 2nd
Who's on second? Young mathematicians use a diagram of a baseball field to find the distance a catcher must throw to reach second base. A brief video of such a play during a baseball game sets the stage for the assignment.
101 Questions
Lost in the City with a Clinometer
Come look at trigonometry from a different angle. To begin a simple activity, scholars view a video of someone using a clinometer to find the angle of elevation to the top of a building. They then use a diagram that shows the building's...
101 Questions
The Island Green
The task will fit your needs to a tee. Given pictures and dimensions of a golf green, future golfers determine the distance it would take for a golf ball to land on the green. Of course, we want some mathematical connections, so they...
101 Questions
Best Reflection
Which is the best reflection of them all? Given four diagrams, pupils determine which one shows the most accurate reflection of a quadrilateral. Two images provide the distances of each vertex from the line of reflection, as well as the...
Project Maths
Correlation Coefficient
Of course, there might be a correlation! Young mathematicians investigate several different data sets, create scatter plots, and determine any correlation. They consider whether a causation exists between any of the variables in question.
Project Maths
Outcomes of Coin Tosses
Flip a coin: heads, use the resource; tails, use the resource. The fourth of six installments of the Statistics & Probability unit looks at coin tosses and probability. The class conducts an experiment and sees that the outcomes of...
Project Maths
Fair Trials with Two Dice
Life's not fair, but dice games should be. After playing a two-person game with a pair of dice, scholars investigate the fairness of the game. They consider the number of possible outcomes using the fundamental counting principle and...
Project Maths
Probability and Relative Frequency
It's all relatively simple once you get the gist. Young mathematicians learn about sample spaces and simple probability by conducting an activity with dice. To complete the second of six parts in the Statistics and Probability unit, they...
PBS
Taxes—Where Does Your Money Go?
People spend some of their money before they even get it! Lead a lesson that helps scholars understand the different deductions taken from a paycheck. They calculate rates and percentages and learn where the money goes after it leaves...
101 Questions
Sticky Stickies
Don't let your classes get stuck on area calculations—grab their attention with an inquiry-based lesson! Scholars must develop a plan to determine how may sticky notes it takes to cover the surface of a door. They decide on the...
101 Questions
Canadian Thanksgiving Tradition
It's all about the portion size! Given a photo of a pumpkin pie, learners work to determine the number of calories that are missing. Supplemental information provides the angle of the piece that is missing as well as the nutritional...
Project Maths
Integral Calculus
From derivatives to antiderivatives and back again. Building on the second lesson plan of the three-part series covering functions, learners explore the concept of an antiderivative. They connect the concept to the graph of the function...
Project Maths
Introduction to e
First there was pi and now there's e. A discovery-based instructional activity helps learners find a pattern in compound interest as the compounding period changes. Their investigation results in the discovery of the number e. The...
Project Maths
Introduction to Quadratics
Develop conceptual knowledge of a quadratic equation and its solutions in your classes. The third algebra lesson in a series of four introduces learners to solving quadratic equations slowly. The first activity explores the zero product...
Council for Economic Education
A Penny Saved
A penny saved is a penny earned! Scholars research the different ways to save money over a lifetime. They investigate the Rule of 72, compound interest, and sub-prime loans to gain an understanding of how banks aid in the saving process....
Council for Economic Education
Balance of Payments (BOP)
Have you ever checked your clothes to see how many nations created them? Pupils take a deeper look at international trade and the balance of payments nations have with one another. They use calculations, simulations, and primary sources...
Council for Economic Education
Tax Time Scavenger Hunt
Is a 1040EZ tax form really easy? Scholars investigate the complexities of the United States taxation system with an economics lesson. Using a wide variety of web sources, they interpret IRS taxation rules and regulations to better...
Project Maths
Trigonometric Functions
From a circle to a cycle! The final lesson of a five-part series challenges learners to use points from the unit circle to plot a repeating pattern. The repeating patterns become the graphs of the trigonometric functions. Scholars also...
Project Maths
The Unit Circle
It's not just any circle—it's the unit circle. The fourth lesson in the series is an introduction to the famous unit circle. While working through a series of activities, young scholars learn the components of the unit circle and how to...
Council for Economic Education
Banks and Credit Unions (Part 1)
Imagine you have money you want to save ... where do you put it? Pupils investigate the similarities and differences of banks and credit unions as they determine where exactly to place their hard-earned money. Through a WebQuest, they...
Council for Economic Education
Loan Amortization - Mortgage
When you buy a home for $100,000, you pay $100,000—right? On the list of important things for individuals to understand, the lesson plan presents the concept of interest rates and loan amortization using spreadsheets and online sources....