Investigate the process of factoring polynomials by grouping. A detailed lesson initially has learners follow a set-by-step example. They then drag terms to complete the three steps of a new problem. 

Get things cooking with the first instructional activity in this series on the science of food. Working in small groups, young scientists make and record observations about different mystery foods. These descriptions are then shared with...

Help learners practice their math skills by utilizing the Internet to research a mathematical topic. Your math sleuths will investigate a science or social studies topic from their curriculum and construct a Math Hunt Grid. They create a...

Is it possible for a rectangle to have the same area and perimeter? If you disregard units, it happens! In a challenging task, groups work to determine the rectangles that meet these criterion. The hope is that learners will naturally...

Go on a scavenger hunt around your school to find evidence of math. Investigate different areas of your school for patterns, fractions, and different geometric shapes. Finally, create a spreadsheet and plot the data you've collected.

Students consider the future of endangered species. In this conservation lesson, students view a slide show and use mathematical data to construct a prediction for the survival of an endangered species. This lesson includes, personal...

Maximizing resources is essential to productivity. Class members complete an activity to show how math can help in the process. Using a piece of construction paper, learners construct a box with the maximum volume. Ultimately, they...

How many points are needed to define a unique parabola? Individuals work with data to answer this question. Ultimately, they determine the quadratic model when given three points. The concept is applied to data from a dropped...

Relevance is key! The resource applies quadratic modeling by incorporating application of physics and business. Pupils work through scenarios of projectile motion and revenue/profit relationships. By using the key features of the graph,...

What are the chances? Teach your classes to answer this question using mathematics. The first part of a three-day lesson on determining significance differences in experimental data prompts learners to analyze the data by...

What makes a good sample? Your classes collaborate to answer this question through a task involving areas of rectangles. Given a set of 100 rectangles, they sample a set of five rectangles to estimate the average area of the figures. The...

Teach solving absolute value inequalities through inquiry. Groups use their knowledge of absolute value and solving inequalities to find a solution set to an absolute value inequality. Working collaboratively encourages discussion,...

Explore the effect of outliers through an analysis of mean, median, and standard deviation. Your classes examine and compare these measures for two groups. They must make sense of a group that has a higher mean but lower median compared...

Cats can't add, but they do multiply! Determine the number of descendants of a single cat given specific facts about cats and kittens. The lesson focuses on developing strategies for problem solving using both individual and group work....

Integrate math, science, and speaking/listening with a collaborative hands-on activity. Each group works with a single penny, examining it with the naked eye and recording observations. Repeat using magnifying glasses. Then repeat with a...

Using the subscriber website Explorelearning.com, young mathematicians observe changes in the slope and y-intercept and their effect on the graph of lines. This activity helps students develop an intuitive sense of the connection between...

Agriculture is truly a math-based profession! Help the dairy farmer determine the supplies needed to complete his barn. Using given dimensions, learners build equations and use units to determine the correct amount of materials.

Although it was written to use in a science class, this measurement activity is adaptable to Common Core standards in math for measurement and data. Youngsters are introduced to two types of measurement systems. They use both the...

Sixth graders explore and discuss the effectiveness of magnets in different situations. In this math instructional activity, 6th graders discuss rate and graphs after exploring with magnets using different restrictions on the magnets....

Help pupils see the world through the eyes of a mathematician. As they examine tide patterns, sound waves, and stock market patterns using trigonometric functions, learners create scatter plots and write best-fit functions. 

Use mathematics to show your classes the power of a good model. Young mathematicians analyze the famous Ponzi pyramid scheme using an exponential pattern. They make conclusions on the reliability of the plan and why it is illegal. 

What do you do when factoring doesn't work? Learners complete the square when faced with quadratic expression that don't factor traditionally. They then use factoring by grouping to solve polynomial equations.

Looking for an application for step functions? This activity uses real data to examine piecewise step functions. Groups create a list of data from varying scenarios and create a model to use to make recommendations to increase...

What can math say about natural phenomena? The fifth STEM lesson in this project-based learning series asks collaborative groups to choose a phenomenon of interest and design an experiment to simulate the phenomenon. After collecting...