Build learning by breaking atoms! Young scientists study the way energy changes with a hands-on activity. As they roll steel marbles down a ramp, learners test the hypothesis that kinetic energy does not go away with friction...

Evidence shows the Vikings likely navigated by using a simple sundial to find their course. Videos, a short story, and discussion help bring this time period to life as they study European history with a hands-on experiment. Scholars...

Steam engines have been around since the late 1600s, yet most pupils don't know how they work. Using an soda can, the instructor builds a simple steam engine for scholars to observe. Through a discussion, young scientists learn about the...

It seems the post office has run out of stamps! Learners build all the values of postage available if the post office only sells five- and seven-cent stamps. The task provides an opportunity to create an expression in two variables and...

A career in aeronautics might be calling your class members. Building from the previous two lessons in the series, learners continue analyzing the mathematics of aeronautics. Groups create a paper airplane using paperclips for balance....

For employers and recruiters, the first step in their quest to find good candidates is the paper screening process. They look at a candidate's application and resume and push forward the files of those who meet their requirements. Thus...

Learning about one landform might seem boring to some, but using the resource provided practically guarantees scholar interest. The second in a sequential series of eight covering the topic of Mount Everest includes activities such as a...

What do cereal, fog, and space shuttles have to do with newspapers? A collection of science investigations encourage critical thinking using connections to the various parts of the newspaper. Activities range from building origami seed...

A good concept map requires high thought processes. This makes it a great tool for teaching and evaluating your pupils. A helpful article describes a great approach for teaching young scholars the art of concept map building and how best...

Build the model right out of the box. A few sample items show teachers how Smarter Balanced assessments may approach Claim 4, modeling and data analysis. Pupils use their skills to create equations or expressions to model the situation...

The sun isn't just a ball of yellow! Young scientists learn about the features of the sun using a hands-on modeling activity. They build models of the sun using common household items to represent sunspots, solar prominence, and the...

How are forces and motion important to a swing set? Scholars explore the concepts of force and motion using swing sets. In preparation for their own STEM design project, individuals take surveys and data from peers, complete labs on...

What's so difficult about predicting the weather? Scholars work collaboratively to build a device that models how meteorologists use computers to forecast weather. Team members collect and interpret data while working together to...

Are you searching for a purpose for geometric constructions? Use an engaging approach to explore dilations. Scholars create dilations using a construction method of their choice. As they build their constructed dilation, they...

How many ways can you create a dilation? Many! Individuals strengthen their understanding of dilations by using various methods to create them. The new technique builds on pupils' understanding of the ratio method. Using the ratio,...

Do you view proofs as an essential geometric skill? The resource builds on an understanding of dilations by proving the Dilation Theorem of Segments. Pupils learn to question and verify rather than make assumptions. 

Start the exploration of trigonometry off right! Pupils build on their understanding of similarity in this lesson that introduces the three trigonometric ratios. They first learn to identify opposite and adjacent...

Build right angles using coordinate geometry! Pupils explore the concept of slope related to perpendicular lines by examining 90-degree rotations of right triangles. Learners determine the slope of the hypotenuse becomes the opposite...

How many sides does that polygon have? Building directly from lesson number eight in this series, learners now find the area and perimeter of any polygon on the coordinate plane. They decompose the polygons into triangles and use Green's...

Inscribed angles are central to the instructional activity. Young mathematicians build upon concepts learned in the previous instructional activity and formalize the Inscribed Angle Theorem relating inscribed and central angles. The...

Time to put it all together! Building on the concepts learned in the previous lessons in this series, learners apply the Remainder Theorem to finding zeros of a polynomial function. They graph from a function and write a function from...

In the 16th lesson in the series of 32 the class uses the concept of complex multiplication to build a transformation in order to reflect across a given line in the complex plane. The lesson breaks the process of reflecting across a line...

Build confidence in proofs by proving a known property. Pupils explore two approaches to proving base angles of isosceles triangles are congruent: transformations and SAS. They then apply their understanding of the proof to more complex...

Build confidence by using multiple approaches to problem solving! This resource uses a visual and algebraic approach to solving application problems. A discussion is included about efficient approaches to different problems.