Fall back and slow down. The fourth lesson in a six-part series on air traffic control leads the class to find the difference in distance traveled based upon the difference in speed. Pupils work through a problem related to walking...

Usain Bolt and Superman have something in common—speed! A video of one of Bolt's races introduces young scholars to the concept of unit rate. Using data from the race, the narrator calculates a unit rate in kilometers per hour, which...

Groups simulate an orbit using a piece of string and a water balloon. Individuals spin in a circular path and calculate the balloon's velocity when the clothes pin can no longer hold onto the balloon.

Give AP Calculus classes the opportunity to check the accuracy of their calculations! A calculus activity involves the collection of data, the application of mathematics, and the analysis of the accuracy of results. Young mathematicians...

Get into the swing of things. Pupils use a pendulum to demonstrate the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy and back. After measuring the speed of a pendulum and compare it to the calculated theoretical speed, they...

See how a marshmallow can hold up a bridge load. Teams take a closer look at the design of bridge piers. They determine the types of loads that might affect a bridge, and, using that information, they calculate the needed cross-sectional...

It's an ocean rescue mission! Groups must find a pilot downed off the coast of the Chesapeake Bay. Rescuers must determine the distance needed to travel as well as the heading to get to the pilot's last known position. Taking...

A great way to practice with unit rates, the activity gives your mathematicians an opportunity to compare different statements and select which are true. They can practice with "choose all that apply" by setting each statement into its...

Gotta catch them all—no learner left behind! Young scholars must predict the length of time it takes a phone attached to a fan to travel five kilometers given the radius and rotations versus time data. Why would you attach a phone to a...

Revisit the 2012 Summer Olympics by having seventh graders calculate the unit rate sprinting speed of the 100-meter gold medal winner. 

Groups use a marble to determine the viscosity of household fluids. The procedure calls for pupils to measure the amount of time it takes a marble to fall a specified distance in the fluids. Using unit conversions and algebra, the teams...

Your pupil's pet dog and bird are racing down the city streets. In order to know who is going to win, they better know something about calculating rates, the Pythagorean Theorem, and applying those topics to the map of the city. 

If you have a rotating office chair in your classroom, you can have physics pupils participate in this simple, yet effective demonstration of angular momentum. One partner sits in the chair, arms outstretched, holding heavy weights. The...

During a walk-a-thon your learners must determine the walking rate of Julianna's progress. Using tables, graphs, and an equation, they must be able to calculate the time it took her to walk one mile and predict her distance based on the...

Using their knowledge of right triangles, pupils find out how far a ship is from a light house. Class members determine how far around the world a ship would be sailing at a constant speed.

What is mu? Emerging scientists explore the coefficient of sliding friction, or mu, and apply its concepts as they complete activities in the interesting lesson. They measure the sliding friction between soles of their own athletic shoes...

Unscramble a carnival mystery! Scholars observe a video of an overhead view of a carnival ride, The Scrambler. They then must determine mathematically where a specific car will stop after a certain amount of time.

Learners consider several factors to determine if Felicia has enough gas to make it to her destination. They must explain the approximations Felicia might make while driving to determine if she needs to stop for gas. They are also asked...

In an open-ended problem, learners calculate costs involved in driving an ice cream van. Is it better to park in one place or drive through different neighborhoods? Learners look at these and other factors and must make reasonable...

It's a great day for a bike ride, but how long will it take? Your learners will have to calculate multiple variables in the problem using scaffolded questioning. Different answer choices are given, but you will need to create the table...

Add a sense of excitement to your math class with this race across the country. Using their knowledge of all things circular, young mathematicians work in pairs answering a series of pi-related word problems as they hop from one city to...

You don't want to leave any learners stranded! Explore ratios using an analysis of gas mileage and distance. Given a scenario, individuals must determine if a car has enough gas to make it to the next gas stop.

Are you feeling the pressure? Let loose a little with a kinesthetic activity that models molecular motion in a closed space! The activity varies conditions such as volume and temperature and examines the effects on molecules.

Raise the energy level of your physical science class with this exciting hands-on activity. Applying their knowledge of kinetic and potential energy and Newton's laws of motion, young engineers use foam tubing and marbles to create...