In 2006, New Horizons began its mission to fly to Pluto. As it continues its journey, scholars track its progress with the help of an informative website, all the while reinforcing measurement concepts with the construction of a scaled...

Sidewalk patterns ... it's definitely not foursquare! Learners investigate patterns in sidewalk blocks, write an expression to represent the pattern, and then solve problems using the expressions.

Are the length and width of birds' eggs related? Young ornathologists use a scatter plot to investigate the relationship between the length and width of eggs for Mallard ducks. They then determine the egg with the greatest...

So many different kinds of equations and inequalities! Learners solve equations and inequalities with quadratics and other higher-order polynomials. They then classify the equations based on the number of solutions.

Gain a little interest in functions with a real-life task. Young scholars analyze home loan data with a geometric sequence and series. They use the models to make predictions about the total loan payments at certain intervals in a...

Split the work three ways. Learners use their knowledge of fractions to solve problems dealing with splitting up work loads evenly between three groups. Scholars determine the fractional portion of work each group will do along with...

An MRI uses both a magnetic and electricity, so how do the two interact with each other? Class members observe the effects on a charged particle when it is subject to both an electrical and magnetic field. The teacher background...

Introduces your class to the types of loads experienced by a bridge. Groups calculate the ultimate load combinations to determine the maximum load requirement. Using this information, builders then determine the amount of material...

How many boys are in the class? Here is an introductory exercise describing ratios. The commentary shows different ways learners can approach the problem, using a tape diagram of boys to girls and using a table. The activity includes...

One of the most common, everyday applications of math is dealing with money. This single problem calculating how much change Margie receives is more involved than it appears at first glance. An understanding of how fractions and decimals...

Show your future bakers how to choose the right baking pan by calculating the volume of a pan. The resource compares two pans, one with decimal edge lengths and is too small for the recipe and one that may work. Your number crunchers are...

Prepare your pupils for Common Core testing with this practice test. The test includes one fictional text and four informational texts for learners to read and answer questions about. Also included are answer keys, an online version, and...

With the end of the year quickly approaching it's time to find out exactly how much your sixth graders have learned. Specifically designed for the Common Core ELA standards, this practice test gives students five reading passages,...

What happens to your money between the time you make a bank deposit and the time you decide to spend it? Take middle schoolers and teens through the process of opening checking and savings accounts, creating a personal budget,...

Getting water to a tap requires an understanding the fundamentals of fluid flow. Groups design, build, and test a piping system to get water from the source — a five gallon bucket — to a tippy tap. The objective is to be able to...

Free clothes? In the middle school assessment task, learners first consider whether four 25 percent reductions will result in a sale price of $0. Mathematicians then determine the sale price and discount percentage of such a sale.

Focus on the conservation of energy, specifically looking at gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy, with a lecture that involves having friends throw light objects at each other to determine which has more kinetic energy and...

Roll with your class into the idea of conservation of energy. Pupils use a roller coaster track to collect data to reinforce the concept of conservation of energy and the influence of friction. Class members then create a graph from...

A research position becomes a modeling job. The introductory lesson in a series of nine presents the challenge of analyzing a set of bivariate data. The class brainstorms what the data may represent. Pupils must decide what is needed to...

Creating a definition may be easier than it sounds! Give your classes experience creating their own definition. Scholars examine the meaning of the compact-ness of a scatter plot and create their own definitions based on measurements. 

Students use the GEEBITT excel model to explore how global average temperatures are affected by changes in our atmosphere in part two of this series of seven lessons. Working in groups, they discuss, analyze graphs, and enter data to...

Scholars use data to analyze and determine which sets of information need to be counted. They create a model to explain differences among chemical elements using graphs to prove concept mastery.

Order up a unit on rational numbers. A unit overview gives a basic outline of instruction and activities on rational numbers for the 7.NS domain. A performance task on profits at pizzerias assesses understanding of the concepts in the...

Pupils often wonder how we know the distance to various stars. Starting with a thought experiment and progressing to a physical experiment, they determine the brightness and distance to various stars. The evaluation requires...