Your learners will be tantalized by this inquiry-based, collaborative activity as they discover how to write an equation that represents the height of an ice cream cone. Given the scenario based on the poem, "Eighteen Flavors," and...

Discover the connection between vectors and translations. Through the lesson plan, learners see the strong relationship between vectors, matrices, and translations. Their inquiries begin in the two-dimensional plane and then progress to...

Students classify and compare plants using specific information, observations, and numbers. In this mathematical inquiry instructional activity, students use plant characteristics to describe, compare, and classify them. They attempt to...

Once learners realize what direct variation is, they see it's just a type of linear function. The lesson plan poses a general question that leads to the creation of the y = kx formula. The resource includes discussion prompts and ideas...

How many cups does it take to reach the top? Learners attempt to answer this through a series of questions. They collect dimension information and apply it to creating a function. The lesson encourages various solution methods and...

Investigate the volume of irregular figures in an inquiry-based exercise. Presented with an irregularly shaped box filled with water, learners must predict the level of water when it is tipped on its side. The class can divide...

Learn how to represent functions in multiple ways. Learners analyze functions as equations, graphs, and verbal descriptions. The analysis includes intercepts, behavior, domain, and range. The module of seven lessons makes up the third...

Where do those asymptotes come from? Learners graph, simplify, and solve rational functions in the fifth module of a 10-part series. Beginning with graphing, pupils determine the key characteristics of the graphs including an in-depth...

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

Young mathematicians explore the maximun area for patio with the added complexity of finding the mimimum cost for construction. First, they maximize the area of a yard given a limited amount of fence and  plot width v. area on a...

When is finding the discriminant enough? Using the quadratic formula helps find solutions to quadratic equations, but there are times when just using the discriminant is appropriate. Use this algebra II lesson to help classes see...

Young mathematicians dive into the number line to discover decimals and how the numbers infinitely get smaller in between. They click the zoom button a few times and learn that the number line doesn't just stop at integers. Includes...

Although the methods are all scientific, forensic science was started by police officers rather than scientists, who relied on observation and common sense. Young detectives use many tools to solve crimes around the school in a...

Double click that mouse because you just found an amazing lesson! This cross-curricular Ornithology lesson incorporates literature, writing, reading informational text, data collection, scientific inquiry, Internet research, art, and...

High schoolers use fossils found in rocks to determine the age of the strata between Rock Island and Chicago. Pupils pretend they are geologists. They must determine the age of all rock layers between the Mississippi River and Lake...

Don't let your class's heart rates rise as you introduce them to differentiation ... an inquiry-based lesson plan helps them keep it in check! The second lesson plan in a three-part series asks learners to analyze the rate of change of...

First there was pi and now there's e. A discovery-based lesson plan helps learners find a pattern in compound interest as the compounding period changes. Their investigation results in the discovery of the number e. The lesson plan is...

Pack the lesson into your plans. Young mathematicians learn about packing and optimization with the context of circular paving stones. They use coins to model the paving stones, and then apply knowledge of circles and polygons to...

Analyze patterns and build functions. Young scholars work on their modeling skills with an inquiry-based lesson. After watching a video presentation of the problem, they write functions and make predictions.

Students investigate the Math behind Musical instruments in this cross-curricular Math lesson on the Native American Flute and waveforms. The lesson can be accomplished in 6 days and includes an extensive materials list for successful...

Students discover new ways to preserve the ecosystem by completing graphic organizers.  In this environmental lesson, students read an article from the Natural Inquirer in small groups and fill out a graphic organizer based on the...

Young mathematicians use bags of Skittles to help them gain practice in graphing and organizing data. They work in pairs, and after they have counted and organized their Skittles, they access a computer program which allows them to print...

Can segments be considered perpendicular if they don't intersect? Learners look at nonintersecting segments on the coordinate plane and make conclusions about the lines that contain those segments. They determine if they are...

Investigate division within an algebraic term using an inquiry-based lesson. Individuals adjust sliders and watch as the simplification of the term changes. Questions help guide them to important conclusions.