Virginia Department of Education
Exponents and Radicals
What is that fraction doing as an exponent? Fun math games prompt learners to practice evaluating radical expressions and expressions containing rational exponents, both in groups and individually.
Virginia Department of Education
Exponents
Expand your knowledge of exponents with an activity that promotes critical thinking and comparison skills. Middle and high schoolers compare numbers written in expanded and exponential form and explain their strategies for solving...
Virginia Department of Education
Weather Patterns and Seasonal Changes
Get your class outside to observe their surroundings with a lesson highlighting weather patterns and seasonal changes. First, learners take a weather walk to survey how the weather affects animals, people, plants, and trees during...
Virginia Department of Education
The Hydrologic Cycle
There is the same amount of water on earth now as there was when it was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank! Young scientists build their own hydrologic cycle model and observe...
Virginia Department of Education
Determining Direct Variation
Once learners realize what direct variation is, they see it's just a type of linear function. The activity poses a general question that leads to the creation of the y = kx formula. The resource includes discussion prompts and ideas for...
Virginia Department of Education
Structure and Function of Cell Membranes
Lead your high school class on an exploration inside the cell. Individuals investigate the relationships between cells structure and function given their relative locations on the cell membrane. They explore the concept of homeostasis...
Virginia Department of Education
Average Atomic Masses
Facilitate learning by using small objects to teach the principles of atomic mass in your science class. Pupils determine the average mass of varying beans as they perform a series of competitive experiments. They gather data and...
Computer Science Unplugged
Tablets of Stone—Network Communication Protocols
Show your learners that the game of Telephone isn't the only way messages get mixed up. Pairs transform into the sender and receiver of a message sent in packets. At least one pupil is the messenger who either delivers, delays, or...
Virginia Department of Education
Animal Phyla and Plant Divisions
Searched hours for an activity that allows individuals the ability to use multiple resources to learn about both plant and animal kingdoms? This discussion and activity provide pupils with the ability to visualize each organism...
Virginia Department of Education
The Law of Conservation of Matter
The Law of Conservation of Matter can be complex for young scientists to fully grasp. Use this experiment to help simplify the process as pupils perform two experiments to determine mass: one that melts a substance and the other that...
Virginia Department of Education
The Cycles of Nature
Encourage peer collaboration and assist with the creation of visual aids to identify carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles as your class learns more about nature. They discuss relative information, create a visual aid...
Virginia Department of Education
The Ratio of Surface Area to Volume
Demonstrate the ratio of surface area to volume in your high school class by using phenolphthalein, gelatin, and an onion. Intrigue the class by leading a discussion on osmosis and diffusion, then making "scientific jello." Participants...
Virginia Department of Education
Meiosis
Intrigue the class by completing a lesson on meiosis, filled with challenging and insightful activities to spark the interest of every person in the room. Each member of the class learns about genetic disorders due to faulty meiosis, and...
Virginia Department of Education
Biotechnological Issues and Bioethics
Culminate a bioethics unit with the implementation of a activity that incorporates the Socratic method to encourage class feedback and participation. Pupils participate in a discussion on bioethics and morality, complete a...
Virginia Department of Education
Rational Expressions
Demonstrate the progression of operations with rational expressions through a multi-day instructional activity, equipped with worksheets for each day. High schoolers develop the concepts needed to perform operations with rational...
Virginia Department of Education
Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences and Series
Examine the importance of sequence and series through contextual situations. Here, learners partake in a five-day unit that begins with the basics of arithmetic and geometric sequences and series. As it progresses, pupils apply the...
Virginia Department of Education
Rational Equations
Provide guidance and practice of the useful skill: solving rational equations using both an algebraic and graphical approach. Pupils solve increasingly more difficult rational equations using algebraic methods. After, they...
Virginia Department of Education
Nonlinear Systems of Equations
Explore nonlinear systems through graphs and algebra. High schoolers begin by examining the different types of quadratic functions and their possible intersections. They then use algebraic methods to solve systems containing various...
Virginia Department of Education
Road Trip
Help plan a road trip with linear equations. Scholars consider two different rental car companies and write equations representing the cost for each company. They graph the system of equations to determine the conditions under which each...
Virginia Department of Education
Functions: Domain, Range, End Behavior, Increasing or Decreasing
Examine key features of various functions through exploration. A comprehensive instructional activity has learners describe the domain, range, end behavior and increasing/decreasing intervals of various functions. Function types include...
Virginia Department of Education
Composition of Functions
Analyze functions by decomposing complex functions and composing simple functions. Through a detailed lesson plan, pupils learn the vocabulary and notation related to the composition of functions. Practice includes both evaluating and...
Virginia Department of Education
Factors, Zeros, and Solutions
Factors, zeros, and solutions, oh my! Don't let your classes become overwhelmed with the vocabulary. An engaging lesson helps learners make a connection between factors, zeros, and solutions. Pupils explore the relationship between the...
Virginia Department of Education
Complex Numbers
Build on your class' understanding of real numbers as they begin working with complex numbers. Pupils begin with an exploration of i and the patterns in the powers of i. After developing a definition for i, they...
Virginia Department of Education
Quadratic Equations
Review the multiple methods of solving quadratic equations through an analysis of the discriminant. Scholars use the discriminant to determine the best solution method and then solve various equations. As a challenge, learners build...