Help learners discover the unique characteristics of the tangent function. Working in teams, pupils create tables of values for different intervals of the tangent function. Through teamwork, they discover the periodicity, frequency, and...

Class members investigate how positive and negative numbers are useful in the real world. Individuals first read a short passage and identify terms indicating positive and negative numbers. They consider situations involving positive...

Examine different types of graphs as a means for analyzing data. Math scholars identify the type of graph from a series of data displays and then develop questions to match each one. Then, given a scatter plot of height versus age data,...

Fifth graders examine ways to save and spend money. They look at ways that people earn, save, and spend money using chapters from Tom Birdseye's Tarantula Shoes. They add and subtract decimals to fill in a worksheet entitled, "Is It a...

Don't lose your marbles! This simple story problem helps make teaching division with fractions much easier. Work on this problem along with the lesson titled, How Many Servings of Oatmeal? to highlight the difference between...

Understanding the concept of equality is fundamental to the success of young mathematicians. To explore this basic idea, children compare the dots arranged in pairs of rectangles in order to determine whether or not they contain an equal...

Solve real-world financial math problems. High schoolers will work through a series of problems as they look at credit card interest, bill payment, and other real-world personal money matters.

Give kids a few strategies to help them become amazing problem solvers. This presentation is intended to be used over a two-day period and presents several techniques or ways to solve word problems or multiplication problems by...

Double the fun of solving a linear equation with an activity that asks learners to first compete an assessment task graphing two linear equations to find the common solution. They then complete a card activity solving systems of...

Split the work three ways. Learners use their knowledge of fractions to solve problems dealing with splitting up work loads evenly between three groups. Scholars determine the fractional portion of work each group will do along with...

Are pyramids and cones similar in definition to prisms and cylinders? By examining the definitions, pupils determine that pyramids and cones are subsets of general cones. Working in groups, they continue to investigate the relationships...

Start your engines! Small groups collect data from websites pertaining to the Indianapolis 500 in order to determine average speed per lap and miles in each lap. The activity requires prior knowledge of the the formula d=rt.

Working in small groups young scholars develop three alternative boat designs. They discuss the rationale for the type of hull, propeller, location of ballast, and type of building material used in their design. They build their boat.

Middle schoolers work in small groups to make various geometric solids with Play-Doh. They use fishing line to make cuts and observe the shapes of the cross-sections. Pupils complete an assessment in which they answer questions such as:...

Learners explore inequalities to determine the optimal solution to maximize a profit for a company. In this linear programming lesson, students discover how to graph inequalities and how to determine the algebraic representation of a...

Establish 1:1 correspondence by counting students, first one gender, then the other. Give each child a colored cube (one color for boys, another for girls) and have small groups determine more or less and how many all together. As a...

Early learners explore shapes using colored blocks. They first get some hands-on time with the blocks and then look at beginning math concepts regarding spatial relationships. They work with a partner to build a 6-8 block tower...

How do you know if a number is divisible? Instructors first prove the divisibility rules for three and four and then class members use this modeling to prove given divisibility rules for eight and nine either individually or in...

Which pulley system will give us a whale of a good time? Teams compare the theoretical and actual mechanical advantages of different pulley systems. They then form a recommendation for how to move a whale from an aquarium back to the ocean.

Boxing takes on a whole new meaning! The second installment of the three-part series has groups create lidless boxes from construction paper that can hold the most rice. After testing out their constructions, they build a new box....

What properties does area possess? Solidify the area properties that pupils learned in previous years. Groups investigate the five properties using four problems, which then provide the basis for a class discussion.

As they investigate scaling figures and calculate the resulting areas, groups determine the area of similar figures. They continue to investigate the results when the vertical and horizontal scales are not equal. 

Pupils analyze group data to identify significant differences. They use simulation to create their own random assignment data for comparison. 

What happens to a function whose graph is translated horizontally? Groups find out as they investigate the effects of addition and subtraction within a function. This nineteenth instructional activity in a 26-part series focuses on...