New York City Department of Education
Myself and Others
Self reflection is an important skill to reinforce in our children, and it's especially helpful to help them realize who they are in the context of their environment. A collection of lessons about self image and community encourage...
EngageNY
Dividing the King’s Foot into 12 Equal Pieces
Apply, apply, apply! A measurement lesson applies a number of concepts to help learn a new construction. Scholars learn to divide a segment into n equal parts using a method that uses the Side Splitter Theorem and a method that...
EngageNY
The Definition of Sine, Cosine, and Tangent
Introduce your classes to a new world of mathematics. Pupils learn to call trigonometric ratios by their given names: sine, cosine, and tangent. They find ratios and use known ratios to discover missing sides of similar...
EngageNY
The Volume Formula of a Pyramid and Cone
Our teacher told us the formula had one-third, but why? Using manipulatives, classmates try to explain the volume formula for a pyramid. After constructing a cube with six congruent pyramids, pupils use scaling principles from...
City University of New York
African Americans and the Populist Movement
Why did the Populist Party fail to ally itself with African American farmers? To answer this essential question, class members investigate the Populist Era (188-1900) and read an article written by Tom Watson, a Populist leader.
City University of New York
Jim Crow and Voting Rights
Class groups examine primary source documents to determine how the voting rights of African Americans were restricted after the failure of Reconstruction, and how African American participation in World War II lead to change.
Teach Engineering
Straw Bridges
Pairs work as engineering teams to design and build model bridges from drinking straws and tape. In this third segment in a series of 10, teams compete in an attempt to build the strongest bridge. To help with the design, the groups...
Teach Engineering
Cost Comparisons
Our final proposal for the cost of the bridge requested is ... In the last segment in a series of 10, pairs work together to develop a proposal for a city bridge design. The class completes a cost comparison between concrete and steel to...
EngageNY
The Graph of a Linear Equation in Two Variables
Add more points on the graph ... and it still remains a line! The 13th installment in a series of 33 leads the class to the understanding that the graph of linear equation is a line. Pupils find several solutions to a two-variable linear...
EngageNY
Law of Cosines
Build upon the Pythagorean Theorem with the Law of Cosines. The 10th part of a 16-part series introduces the Law of Cosines. Class members use the the geometric representation of the Pythagorean Theorem to develop a proof of the Law of...
EngageNY
Dilations on the Coordinate Plane
Dilations from the origin have a multiplicative effect on the coordinates of a point. Pupils use the method of finding the image of a point on a ray after a dilation to find a short cut. Classmates determine the short cut of being...
EngageNY
Increasing and Decreasing Functions 2
Explore linear and nonlinear models to help your class build their function skills. In a continuation of the previous lesson, learners continue to analyze and sketch functions that model real-world situations. They progress from linear...
Teach Engineering
Kidney Stone Crystallization
No one likes kidney stones, but they are very interesting to learn about. The last installment of a three-part unit has learners experiment with different chemicals to see which one inhibits the growth of calcium oxalate crystals (which...
EngageNY
A Synthesis of Representations of Equivalent Ratio Collections
Make all the ratio representations fit together. The 15th segment in a series of 29 presents ratio problems to solve. Scholars use a variety of representations to respond to the questions. The problem set has pupils show how the...
EngageNY
Conducting a Simulation to Estimate the Probability of an Event
How can you complete a simulation when it is not practical to determine the probability of an event? Class members learn that in some situations, it is not feasible to find the probability of an event, but they can estimate it by running...
EngageNY
The Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD)
Is there a way to measure variability? The ninth resource in a series of 22 introduces mean absolute deviation, a measure of variability. Pupils learn how to determine the measure based upon its name, then they use the mean...
EngageNY
Solving Problems by Finding Equivalent Ratios
Combine total quantities and equivalent ratios in problem solving. The fifth lesson plan in a series of 29 presents problems that can be solved using equivalent ratios. Pupils use part-to-part ratios and either sums or differences of the...
National Constitution Center
Abraham Lincoln's Crossroads
History enthusiasts participate in an interactive website that brings Abraham Lincoln to life as he shares his personal experiences between 1854-1864. Scholars listen and read carefully to form their own opinions and discover if they...
CCSS Math Activities
Out of the Swimming Pool
Out of the swimming pool and into the math classroom! Young mathematicians analyze two linear functions representing the number of liters of water in a pool as it drains over time. They must evaluate functions, interpret function...
Reed Novel Studies
Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library: Novel Study
Comparing yourself to others is a sure way to make you feel worse about yourself. Kyle, a character in Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library, knows this well, as it is difficult for him to compete with his older brothers. Will he finally...
Reed Novel Studies
Old Yeller: Novel Study
Fred Gipson's Old Yeller tells of a stray yellow dog who becomes the best friend a boy could ever have. While reading the novel, learners complete sentences with new vocabulary words, answer comprehension questions, and create...
Reed Novel Studies
The One and Only Ivan: Novel Study
A new friend, a new perspective, and a new light are all found in Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan. Ivan, a gorilla, was content with his life until a baby elephant befriended him. Readers find synonyms, answer...
Reed Novel Studies
Out of My Mind: Novel Study
Have you ever felt trapped in your own body? That is likely how Melody in Sharon M. Draper's Out of My Mind feels. As scholars read to find out how Melody finally expresses herself, they complete sentences with new words, describe...
New York City Department of Education
Designing Euclid’s Playground
Create a geometric playground. Pupils work through a performance task to demonstrate their ability to use geometric concepts to solve everyday problems. The accompanying engineering design lessons show teachers how the assessment works...