EngageNY
An Exercise in Creating a Scale Drawing
Design your dream classroom. The lesson plan contains an exercise to have teams create a scale drawing of their dream classroom. Pairs take the measurements of their classroom and furniture and create a scale factor for them. To finish...
University of Nottingham
Drawing to Scale: A Garden
See how design and geometry go hand in hand. The activity asks learners to use geometry to design a backyard garden given dimensions of each feature. Scholars work with ratios and scale to develop an accurate scale drawing that includes...
Curated OER
Exploring Similarity Using Scale Drawings
Learners explore scale factor as they create a scale drawing of a box, then determine the surface area and volume of the original and the scale drawing. The one page worksheet contains activities and procedures with four questions.
Balanced Assessment
L to Scale
Explore the meaning of scale in relation to actual size through this activity. Young mathematicians examine scale models and determine their relationship to each other. They also find perimeter and area of each model.
Curated OER
The Earth and Moon to Scale
For this Earth and Moon worksheet, learners find the ratio of the Earth's radius to the Moon's radius, they compare the diameter of the Earth and Moon, they create paper models to scale of the Earth and Moon and they compare Earth-Moon...
Balanced Assessment
How Big is Big?
Now you can create your own monster movie. Learners estimate the size of a scale model monster given comparison statements and analyze these estimates to determine if the scale model accurately portrays a lizard.
Balanced Assessment
House Plan
A short assessment has individuals determine the scale of a house plan. They use the scale to calculate the size of a door and window that need to be replaced, and then divide a bedroom in two, calculating the size of rooms created.
Curated OER
Galaxies to Scale
For this scales and galaxies worksheet, students solve 7 problems including finding the size of galaxies in comparison to other galaxies and drawing scale models of the given galaxies to show their relative sizes and shapes.
New York Science Teacher
Planet Scaling using Extra Terrestrial Tools
Your class will use a set scale to convert diameters of planets to the model size, the diagram given to expand on the number of planets drawn as concentric circles, and examine the scale that would be needed to fit the larger planets on...
Journey Through the Universe
Voyage of Discovery
Did you know that Pluto is smaller than the United States of America? It is difficult to conceptualize the size of planets and the distance between them, and the lesson addresses those exact issues. After a discussion, pupils create...
Code.org
Functions and Top-Down Design
Let me break it down for you! Introduce your class to a way of breaking up a complicated task into its component pieces. Individuals draw a complex figure using JavaScript and then break it down to help determine the functions needed in...
Achieve
Stairway
It's the stairway to learning! Scholars research all aspects of building a staircase. Using information from building codes, they write and graph a system of inequalities to analyze the constraints. The completed project is a scale model...
It's About Time
The History and Scale of the Solar System
Take scientists beyond our earthly reach and into the solar system. Pupils create a model of the solar system and discuss strengths and weaknesses of their model. They calculate distances in light years, discuss the nebular theory, and...
EngageNY
Logarithms—How Many Digits Do You Need?
Forget your ID number? Your pupils learn to use logarithms to determine the number of digits or characters necessary to create individual ID numbers for all members of a group.
Curated OER
Megabeasts
Create larger-than-life insects for the classroom. Bugs are usually pretty small, but during the Jurassic period they were huge. Kids use diagramming and scale conversion to enlarge a modern day insect so that it is as big as its ancient...
Achieve
Dairy Barn
Agriculture is truly a math-based profession! Help the dairy farmer determine the supplies needed to complete his barn. Using given dimensions, learners build equations and use units to determine the correct amount of materials.
Curated OER
Lab Activity: Model of the Planets
This worksheet leads the class through the calculations needed to construct circles to represent the planets of our Solar System. The actual values are provided, as are suggested calculations to create the scale diameters. The ten...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Over the Hill
Can you hear me from there? Pupils determine the place to build a cell tower on a hill. The class uses constraints and creates a scale drawing on a coordinate system to calculate the exact location of the base of the cell tower.
NASA
Packing for a L-o-o-o-ng Trip to Mars
Pack just enough to fit. Crews determine what personal items to take with them on a trip to Mars. Each team must decide what to take with them on a two-and-a-half year trip to Mars and whether their items will fit within the allotted...
EngageNY
What Lies Behind “Same Shape”?
Develop a more precise definition of similar. The lesson begins with an informal definition of similar figures and develops the need to be more precise. The class learns about dilations and uses that knowledge to arrive at a mathematical...
EngageNY
The Mean as a Balance Point
It's a balancing act! Pupils balance pennies on a ruler to create a physical representation of a dot plot. The scholars then find the distances of the data points from the balance point, the mean.
Curated OER
Missouri Time Scale and Earth Time Scale
For this time scale worksheet, students create a time scale of Missouri and the earth using adding machine tape. The length of the tape represents the history of Missouri and the history of earth. Students identify the major events in...
Noyce Foundation
Photographs
Scaling needs to be picture perfect. Pupils use proportional reasoning to find the missing dimension of a photo. Class members determine the sizes of paper needed for two configurations of pictures in the short assessment task.
Curated OER
Triangulation Experiment
In this triangulation worksheet, students solve and complete 11 steps of an experiment to determine the distance to a far away object using triangulation and trigonometry. First, they select a far away object and create a baseline far...