Students create their own copies of Phoenix Birds using a grid system.

What is the fastest way to get from point A to line l? A straight perpendicular line! Learners use what they have learned in the previous lessons in this series and develop a formula for finding the shortest distance from...

If members of your class wonder where they can use the math they learn in middle school, let them discover the answer. Learners apply geometry concepts of scale and measure to calculate the costs of framing a house addition.

Pupils design a fence for a backyard pool. Scholars develop a fence design based on given constraints, determine the amount of material they need, and calculate the cost of the project. 

How do you find the area of an irregular shape? Class members calculate the area of an irregular shape by finding the area of a random sampling of the shape. Individuals then utilize a confidence interval to improve accuracy and use a...

Learners map their playground as if it were an archeological site. They locate objects on the playground and determine their location using coordinate points. A related instructional activity is Coordinate Grid: Mapping an Archeological...

Students simulate how archaeologists excavate sites by "searching" their own site in the form of a Jello mold. They use a grid to map the objects in the Jello mold as well as looking at three layers of Jello to understand stratigraphy...

Examine the importance of sequence and series through contextual situations. Here, learners partake in a five-day unit that begins with the basics of arithmetic and geometric sequences and series. As it progresses, pupils apply the...

Learners use grid boxes as a measurement tool and discover how grids are used for mapmaking and scaling down an area. They begin by attempting to draw a model shape drawn by the teacher by using the gridding process. At the conclusion of...

How do spacecraft detect magnetic fields? The fourth installment of a five-part unit has learners develop a device with magnets that allows for the detection of magnetic fields. They use a map of an imaginary planet to try out their...

Compare sizes of student footprints with those of elephants and sauropod dinosaurs! Upper graders make estimations of the areas of irregular shapes; students use grids to make and explain estimates within low and high ranges.

Sixth graders design rectangular gardens with a given perimeter and generalize how to maximize the area Students applying the formulas for perimeter and area of polygons. They analyze length, area, and volume and make relationships...

Math modeling is made easy with the first installment of a 16-part module that teaches pupils to model real-world situations as linear relationships. They create graphs, tables of values, and equations given verbal descriptions.

Here is an excellent cross-curricular lesson. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.

As part of a study of geometric patterns, scholars complete an assessment task determining the number of tiles needed to cover a tabletop. They then evaluate provided sample responses to see different ways to solve the same...

Students participate in designing a city layout using grids and coordinates. They work on a city space and create a grid on a life size layout on the gym floor.

Students plot constellations on a grid map. They discuss the various ways early explorers planned their travels. Students identify and recognize major constellations. They color their maps and take them home to try to find various...

Young scholars examine the grid in terms of a method of organization in our society as well as graphic design. In this "Making and Breaking the Grid" lesson, students design solutions to common problems and draw conclusions about...

Students discover the cultural history of Egypt by illustrating Egyptian figures.  In this art history lesson, students analyze the Egyptian styles of figure drawings and emulate that by creating their own illustrations using an...

Beginning geometers use tiles and grid paper to draw and calculate perimeter and area. Rectangles of different sizes are created and then measured to build understanding. The one-inch grid sheet referenced is attached. 

It's the stairway to learning! Scholars research all aspects of building a staircase. Using information from building codes, they write and graph a system of inequalities to analyze the constraints. The completed project is a scale model...

One step at a time! A seemingly linear relationship becomes an entirely new type of function. Young scholars build their understanding of step functions by completing a three-stage activity that incorporates multiple representations of...

Students make observations of effigy mounds and record them in a notebook. In groups, they must determine the scale of measurement and create their own grid to scale part of the Effigy Mounds National Monument. They also practice using...

Students explore printmaking which began with the ancient Chinese who carved seals from stone, inked them and used the seals as identification symbols. They produce a print in this lesson.