Physics lab groups finagle with laser lights to determine the critical angle of refraction for both water and Lucite. Because there are no detailed steps or an answer key for this enlightening exercise, an inexperienced physics...

Science is exciting - and delicious! Pairs of learners set up a bungee cord type of experiment. They use buckets filled with M & M's, a meter stick, and a Slinky spring (as the bungee) to conduct their experiment. A good activity...

Pairs of learners work together in order to simulate how engineers test materials for strength and safety in the real world. They use paper cups and pieces of spaghetti to run strength tests. This excellent worksheet should lead to...

How many right triangles can you find in a prism, cone, or pyramid? Using right triangles to find lengths in three-dimensional figures is the focus of the lesson. After working with the Pythagorean Theorem to find missing side...

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Learners use the Pythagorean Theorem to develop a formula to find that distance. They then find the midpoint using an average formula. 

Your learners can approach this task algebraically, geometrically, or both. They analyze the building of a linear function given two points and expand the concrete approach to the abstract when they are asked to find the general form of...

Looking for higher-level thinking questions? This assessment provides questions that challenge young mathematicians to think and analyze rather than simply memorize. Topics include piecewise functions, linear modeling, exponential...

With so many math standards to fit into a school year, it can be difficult keeping track of what you have and have not covered. This collection of Common Core checklists allows you to maintain a running record of when each...

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.

New Horizons began its journey to Pluto in 2006. Ten years later, it continues its mission. In that time, scholars have surely grown, but how much more will they grow by the time New Horizons reaches its destination? Find out with an...

The speed of a dragonfly brings math into the real world as your learners collaboratively see the value in calculating unit rates in direct proportion problems. This six-phase lesson encourages you, as the teacher, to only ask questions...

We can mathematically model the path of a robot. Learners use parametric equations to find the location of a robot at a given time. They compare the paths of multiple robots looking for parallel and perpendicular relationships and...

Students plot the migration paths of birds using latitude and longitude data from a table.

How does something go from here to there? Describe it with a transformation. Young mathematicians learn how to translate, reflect, rotate, and dilate an image. 

Assess the ability of the class to solve percent problems with an assessment that covers a variety of percent problems from basic to multi-step. Pupils make connections between percent problems and proportional thinking to complete...

Pupils practice multiplying and dividing whole numbers by fractions. They study the multiplicative identity property that states that the product of any number and 1 is that number. They multiply whole numbers by fractions close to 1 and...

Learners investigate the connection that exists between Algebra and Geometry. They classify two and three-dimensional figures. Pupils use formulas to solve problems in geometry and use appropriate measuring devices in the right contexts.

Solve story problems using fractions or decimals. Then, determine the reasonableness of answers using estimation.The detailed lesson plan includes essential questions, vocabulary, a materials list, and links to related units.

Fourth graders explore triangles. For this math lesson, 4th graders discuss the different types of triangles. Students create triangles using wiki sticks. Students complete an online matching game.

Students discover rules for single transformations, rules for composition of transformations, when a figure has transformation symmetry, and if a transformation is congruent to its preimage.

Compose and decompose sets of 13 and 14 and compare sets of each with your little learners. They use objects to construct sets of 13 and 14, record their answers, and compare sets in several different ways.

Students find different characteristics of the bell curve. In this statistics instructional activity, students analyze a family for a specific characteristic. They identify the shape, center, spread and area as they analyze the...

Students solve problems dealing with ratios and proportions. In this algebra lesson, students rewrite word problems using equations and symbols. They correctly convert between percents and decimals.

Fifth graders study dehydration and dehydration of foods. They measure the amount of water lost from fruits as they are dehydrated. They use desktop publishing software to design an advertisement for dehydrated fruit after researching...