Think, question, brainstorm, and make your way through a newsletter full of puzzles and word problems. The resource includes 10 different newsletters, all with interesting problems, to give class members an out-of-the box...

Put on your thinking caps because middle school math has never been more interesting in this huge resource full of thought provoking questions. Written as a newsletter, the resource has 10 two-page newsletters with a variety of...

Test your pupils' reasoning skills with several activities and a quick mystery to solve. Learners watch and analyze a few video clips that demonstrate reasoning in action, practice deduction with an interactive and collaborative...

Don't just go through the steps to solve an algebraic equation, show learners how to balance an equation with visual models. The packet introduces the idea of mobile balances to reinforce the idea that both sides must match to make the...

Streets, bridges, and intersections, oh my! Parallel lines and transversals are a present in the world around us. Learners begin by discovering the relationship of the angles formed by parallel lines and a transversal. They then...

Now you'll never have trouble cutting a cake evenly again. Here is a set of five problems all about partitioning shapes into a given number of pieces and identifying the fractional amount of each piece. As learners progress through the...

Students define inductive and deductive reasoning and write two column proofs. In this geometry lesson, students analyze arguments and draw conclusion. They define steps necessary to arrive at the correct answer when completing proofs.

Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks...

Venn diagrams are helpful in understanding the idea of a set and using attributes to sort items. This basic plan is an introduction with an added bonus of an applet that can be used to demonstrate the activity. If a classroom of...

Looking for an estimation activity a bit more involved than the typical "guess the number of jellybeans in the jar" game? Here, learners use a picture to estimate the number of people at a large event, look for potential problems with...

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...

Problem solving is a skill of its own. Learners use a variety of problems to encourage mental math and logic to get the correct answer. Guiding questions are provided along the way to encourage the right way of thinking to help tackle...

Math really is just one big puzzle waiting to be solved. Show learners that math can be intriguing and provide them with visually engaging problems and puzzles. The focus is on solving simple equations and looking at expressions. 

Don't rush into algebra, let learners visualize, guess, and predict their way to a successful math career. The introductory unit incorporates beginner algebraic concepts with shapes instead of variables. Young mathematicians use a...

If cubism were a religion, would you follow it? Lower-level tasks focus primarily on counting the number cubes in a structure and relating the number to surface area. As learners progress to higher-level tasks, isometric drawings and...

Try five problems on triangles. Levels A and B focus on shapes that can be created from right triangles. Level C touches upon the relationship between the area of a six-pointed star and the area of each triangle of which it is composed....

Win the war of the worlds! Scholars solve a variety of problems related to an alien invasion. They determine where spaceships have landed on a coordinate map, devise a plan to avoid the aliens, observe the aliens, and break a code to...

Explore the process of inductive and deductive reasoning. A collaborative lesson has some groups apply an inductive approach and others a deductive approach. Through class discussion, scholars compare their processes and discuss...

Students investigate poverty using graphs. For this algebra lesson, students collect data on the effects of poverty and use different rules to analyze the data. They graph and use the trapezoid rule to interpret the data.

Students differentiate between exponential growth and decay. In this algebra lesson plan, students solve exponential equations using properties of exponents. They use the Ti calculator to graph and analyze their functions.

Students look for a pattern to solve an ancient puzzle. In this logic and reasoning math instructional activity, students work to solve the problem of moving the Tower of Hanoi, then listen to a legend about a monk moving a 64-disc...

Young scholars learn how to make patterns. Students first display their prior knowledge of patterns before delving into the lesson. They complete a worksheet and participate in a web-based class activity. They work in cooperative groups...

Elementary schoolers engage in a game of logical reasoning called Secret Sort. A Venn diagram is used as a way to sort objects. This resource would be a great way to introduce the Venn diagram (maybe the most famous, and most-useful...

Score some problems all related to soccer balls. The first few problems focus on pattern blocks to see relationships between figures. More advanced problems focus on actual soccer balls, the patterns on the balls, and their volumes and...