How can you tell if number relationships are proportional? Mathematicians investigate proportional relationships. They compare and contrast functions and graphs to determine the characteristics of proportional relationships, as well as...

Strive to determine your stride. Scholars first view an informative video on the Kentucky Horse Park and the 28-feet stride of the Man o' War. They then work together in groups to find the length of their own strides by using the number...

With many factors leading to a great athlete, does height make Usain Bolt unfairly fast? Middle schoolers conduct analysis to change the running distance of the Olympic races to be proportional to the height of the participants. They...

Give a round of applause for completing the task. Scholars watch a video that shows an extremely fast clapper and a timer. The activity requires applying concepts of rates and proportional reasoning to estimate the number of claps in one...

Investigate the meaning of a sample proportion using this hands-on activity. Scholars collect data and realize that the larger the sample size the more closely the data resembles a normal distribution. They compare the sample proportion...

Eighth graders investigate properties of circles.  For this eight grade mathematics lesson, 8th graders apply proportional reasoning to data gathered with “Google Earth” to calculate equatorial and polar circumference of the...

Let your use of the resource be in proportion to its usefulness. Pupils investigate similar triangles by measuring side lengths and considering given angle measures. The results of the investigation help develop generalizations about...

Investigate the proportional relationships of length, area, and volume. Learners use the dimensions of rectangular prisms to create ratios and proportions. They compare the different ratios to solve more advanced problems.

Challenge your classes while developing their problem-solving skills. A square is divided neatly into four equal triangles by its diagonals until one diagonal is moved from a vertex to the midpoint of one side. Now, scholars must devise...

Analyze patterns in a circular arrangement. After using a geometric construction to complete a circle, learners use proportional reasoning to make predictions. By determining the length of an arc built from suitcases, they estimate the...

Show your classes the importance of mathematics in something as simple as bicycle design. The final lesson in the six-part STEM series has each group research a different aspect of the bicycle. Learners use mathematical formulas, linear...

Students discover scales for both the solar bodies' relative sizes and their distances from the sun. They find equatorial circumference and volumes of their solar bodies. Students apply estimation strategies and proportioanl reasoning to...

Ninth graders apply proportional reasoning to a real-life situation.  In this Algebra I lesson, 9th graders explore a series of equations that relate to a display sign that compares the owner’s bagels to competitors bagels. ...

Why are right triangles so special? Pupils begin their study of right triangles by examining similar right triangles. Verifying through proofs, scholars recognize the three similar right triangles formed by drawing the altitude. Once...

How fast are those thumbs? Pupils view a short video showing a person typing out a text message in a speed challenge. They use the information they can glean from the video to estimate the number of seconds it will take to completely...

Swimming pools are no fun without water. For a pool in the shape of a trapezoidal prism, scholars first calculate the amount of water needed to fill the pool. They use experimental data on water flow to determine whether to haul water...

Give plants the best place to grow. Given constraints on plant spacing, pupils design a raised bed garden using graph paper, then calculate the perimeter, surface area, and volume. They use the provided costs of lumber and soil to...

Drive or take the school bus? Class members determine the amount each student would have to pay in a carpool situation. They then evaluate  the cost in a set of provided examples. I think I'd rather take the school...

Just how scarce is water in different parts of the world? Through these water lessons, young data analysts use provided data to investigate the scarcity of water in countries of the Middle East and Africa. They use ratios and rates to...

Get your frogs hopping by introducing them to the concepts of ratio and proportion. As a class, they perform arithmetic operations using ratios then discover how they represent quantitative relationships. In groups, they write their own...

Let's save some money! High schoolers investigate different options for price reductions. They then determine the best and worst sale from a list of options.

Elementary or middle schoolers use ratios to discover some nearly constant relationships between measurements of parts of the human body. They find and record pairs of measurements and determine the relationship between the pairs. Pupils...

Students apply estimation strategies and proportional reasoning to determine a scale comparing the planetary bodies to Earth. They convert measurements of time and distance using scientific notation. Both the metric and customary units...

Burning off a Big Mac® doesn't seem like a big feat until you calculate the minutes of exercise necessary to break even. Young mathematicians look at different menu items in relation to different body weights and exercises to calculate...