National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Cash or Gas?
Which option provides the best payout? Pupils predict which lottery prize to take. They devise a method to calculate which prize would likely provide the greatest monetary value.
101 Questions
Nana's Chocolate Milk
Nobody wants to make Nana mad! Help Mr. Meyer fix the chocolate milk he prepared for his Nana using too many scoops of chocolate. Youngsters develop a problem-solving strategy that leads to the solution using ratios and proportions.
Computer Science Unplugged
The Muddy City—Minimal Spanning Trees
What is the most efficient way to ensure everyone is connected? Individual pupils determine the least expensive route to pave roads in a fictional city. In doing so, they learn to find the minimal spanning tree for the situation. They...
Noyce Foundation
The Wheel Shop
Teach solving for unknowns through a problem-solving approach. The grouping of five lessons progresses from finding an unknown through simple reasoning to solving simultaneous equations involving three and four variables. Each lesson...
Noyce Foundation
Movin 'n Groovin
Examine the consequences of varying speed. An engaging set of five problem sets challenges young mathematicians by targeting a different grade level from K-12. In the initial lesson, scholars make conclusions about the time it...
Teach Engineering
Solving Energy Problems
Here's your chance to save the world. The eighth lesson in a 25-part Energy Systems and Solutions unit has young scientists come up with ideas for individual or group projects. They identify ways to solve the energy crisis. Hope they...
Teach Engineering
Egg Drop
Don't drop the ball on the resource ... drop an egg instead! A teacher-led demonstration has the class consider how to drop eggs into glasses when a tray is in the way. Hint: If you've ever seen a magician pull a tablecloth off a table,...
Super Teacher Worksheets
Spelling Test Nightmare
What do you do when faced with a bully? Scholars answer this question when presented with a scenario regarding two learners and their spelling test grades. They take part in a grand conversation that leads to problem solving and...
NASA
Resolving 2-Plane Traffic Conflicts by Changing Route—Problem Set B
Do pilots create appropriate spacing between aircraft by traveling a longer or shorter path? An interactive presents two airplanes that violate safety protocols. Pupils must determine how to change the path of one plane to create...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum
Role Playing Relating to Big Decisions
While most high schoolers are too young to vote, they still need to learn the skills needed to solve problems. The ninth resource in a 10-part civics series presents class members with four "What Would You Do?" scenarios that have them...
101 Questions
Boat in the River
Ever feel like you're headed up the down escalator? Don't let your pupils get stuck in that rut! Practice writing equations to solve a problem using an engaging lesson. A video presents information that allows learners to determine how...
John Wiley & Sons
Games, Role Plays, and Exercises
Whether you're lost at sea, lost in the woods, or testing communication skills, teamwork is always important. Build your middle and high schoolers' cooperative and collaborative skills with four activities that prompts groups to compete...
Lions Clubs International Foundation
Mindful Self-Management Exercise: Responding Using S.T.O.P.
Respond rather than react! A self-management exercise teaches pupils a Mindful S.T.O.P. activity. Participants Stop their thoughts or actions, Take deep breaths, Observe how they are feeling, then Proceed with a response that will help...
NASA
Resolving 3-Plane Traffic Conflicts by Changing Route—Problem Set C
Keep the planes from crashing. Pupils work with three airplanes and change their flight paths to keep them at a safe distance from each other. Individuals work through three problems in the third interactive in a set of six with...
101 Questions
Bean Counting
Don't spill the beans ... before the end of the lesson! Learners must predict how long it takes two people working together to fill a glass with beans. A video presents the rate it takes each person independently, and another video...
101 Questions
Nana's Paint Mixup
You would probably do anything for your Nana, including fixing her mistakes! Nana provided the wrong ratio to mix red and white paint, and she didn't realize it until after she mixed the paint. Your class now needs to figure out how to...
101 Questions
Tether Ball
All work and no play makes for a boring classroom! Bring back memories by analyzing the patterns of a tether ball. Given the dimensions of the ball, pole, and rope, young scholars must determine how many times the ball will wrap around...
101 Questions
Shorter Shovels
Learners won't have to dig themselves out of a hole thanks to an insightful video. Using the movie Holes as inspiration, individuals must determine the difference in the number of holes dug when digging with a shorter shovel. Because the...
101 Questions
Thanksgiving Taters
What would a meal be without the taters? The question is, how long does it take to peel those potatoes? Given the rate of peeling one potato, scholars predict the time it takes to peel the bag. The twist is that the first potato was...
101 Questions
Joulies
Does your coffee get too cold too fast? Joulies just might be your answer! Learners use experimental data to make a conclusion about how effective Joulies are at keeping coffee at the ideal temperature. A video shows the graph of the...
Franklin Covey
The Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Sally and Joe both want the last cookie in the jar, so they split it in half. That's an example of a win-win situation, one of the many principles Sean Covey outlines in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Using the...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Bank Shot
Bank on geometry to line up the shot. The resource asks the class to determine the location to bank a cue ball in a game of billiards. Using their knowledge, class members determine where to hit the bumper to make a shot and discuss...
Thoughtful Learning
Creating a Growth Mindset
A quick mimi-lesson models how to replace a fixed mindset with a growth mindset, a mindset that says improvement is possible with practice. Included is an activity that asks individuals to rewrite 10 fixed mindset statements with 10...
Novelinks
The Lightning Thief: Problematic Situation Strategy
In the novel, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Percy is faced with a major decision. After reading, chapter 19, discuss the decision-making process Percy took, what he decided to...