Curated OER
Touch Math
Using the touch math system, learners engage in activities to practice adding numbers. While the instructional activity is laid out in an explicit manner, there isn't a guide explaining the touch math system.
Curated OER
Identifying Linear Functions from Graphs
Keep your mathematicians engaged using this group linear functions activity. Each of ten groups receives two graphs with both an image and equation, as well as a "who has" phrase to call out the next graph. Scholars stay on their toes as...
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Stitching Quilts into Coordinate Geometry
Who knew quilting would be so mathematical? Introduce linear equations and graphing while working with the lines of pre-designed quilts. Use the parts of the design to calculate the slope of the linear segments. The project...
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 13
The six instructional shifts in this workshop definitely move math and science teachers' understanding of instruction. The workshop, 13th out of a series of 15, asks participants to examine sample tests and to look at how the six...
California Academy of Science
Optimal and Sustainable: Renewable Energy Revamp
More than 100 cities around the world have shifted from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Scholars investigate a city wanting to make this switch, but needs help determining how to make the shift. Groups consider all options,...
Illustrative Mathematics
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor
What better way to engage children in a math lesson than by talking about ice cream? Using a pocket chart or piece of chart paper, the class works together creating a bar graph of the their favorite ice cream flavors. Learners then work...
Curated OER
St. Patrick’s Day
Combine math, creative writing, and leprechauns in a fun St. Patrick's Day activity! Using a bag of gold coins and marshmallows, kids write a math story about a leprechaun that includes a multi-step equation to solve.
EngageNY
Graphing the Logarithmic Function
Teach collaboration and communication skills in addition to graphing logarithmic functions. Scholars in different groups graph different logarithmic functions by hand using provided coordinate points. These graphs provide the basis for...
EngageNY
Why Do Banks Pay YOU to Provide Their Services?
How does a bank make money? That is the question at the based of a lesson that explores the methods banks use to calculate interest. Groups compare the linear simple interest pattern with the exponential compound interest pattern.
Rational Number Project
Initial Fraction Ideas Lesson 9 Overview
Visual models support young mathematicians with exploring equivalent fractions. Starting with a quick warm-up problem, children go on to work through a series of guiding practice problems before working with a partner identifying and...
EngageNY
Estimating Centers and Interpreting the Mean as a Balance Point
How do you balance a set of data? Using a ruler and some coins, learners determine whether the balance point is always in the middle. Through class and small group discussions, they find that the mean is the the best estimate of the...
EngageNY
Applying the Laws of Sines and Cosines
Breaking the law in math doesn't get you jail time, but it does get you a wrong answer! After developing the Law of Sines and Cosines in lesson 33 of 36, the resource asks learners to apply the laws to different situations. Pupils must...
EngageNY
Putting It All Together
Shuffle 'em up and deal! Learners practice operations with polynomials using cards they pass around the room. The activity works with pairs or individuals, so it offers great flexibility. This is the fifth installment in a series of 42...
EngageNY
Interpreting Expected Value
Investigate expected value as a long-run average. The eighth installment of a 21-part module has scholars rolling pairs of dice to determine the average sum. They find aggregate data by working in groups and interpret expected value as...
Bowland
Fashionista
So trendy! Show your class how to identify trends in sales patterns using mathematics. Scholars use a software simulation to collect data on age groups, price, and sales at a fashion store. This data allows individuals to determine the...
Illustrative Mathematics
Measure Me!
How many unifix cubes tall are you? If you're not sure, then perform this math activity with your class and find out. Working in pairs, young mathematicians make measuring sticks out of unifix cubes in order to determine the length of...
Mathematics Assessment Project
Deducting Relationships: Floodlight Shadows
Try to figure out what happens with shadows as a person moves between two light sources. A formative assessment lesson plan has individuals work on an assessment task based on similar triangles, then groups them based on...
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...
EngageNY
Mastering Factoring
Math class is full of drama—there are so many problems to work out! Pupils work out factoring problems. They use quadratic methods of factoring higher degree polynomials, in addition to factoring the sum and difference of two...
EngageNY
Why Are Vectors Useful? 1
How do vectors help make problem solving more efficient? Math scholars use vectors to represent different phenomenon and calculate resultant vectors to answer questions. Problems vary from modeling airplane motion to the path of a...
EngageNY
A Surprising Boost from Geometry
Working with imaginary numbers — this is where it gets complex! After exploring the graph of complex numbers, learners simplify them using addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
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.
EngageNY
Distance and Complex Numbers 1
To work through the complexity of coordinate geometry pupils make the connection between the coordinate plane and the complex plane as they plot complex numbers in the 11th part of a series of 32. Making the connection between the two...
EngageNY
When Can We Reverse a Transformation? 2
The second lesson on finding inverse matrices asks class members to look for a pattern in the inverse matrix and test it to see if it works for all matrices. The teacher leads a discussion to refine the process in finding inverses,...