University of California
The Civil War: Secession of the South
Was the Southern states' decision to secede from the Union protected by the United States Constitution? Eighth graders discuss the constitutionality of the South's justification for secession, particularly the secession of South...
Advocates for Human Rights
The Rights of Immigrants in the United States
Based on their understanding of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Rights of Migrants in the United States, groups adopt a human rights perspective and analyze media reports to evaluate how the US is addressing the...
EngageNY
Applying the Properties of Operations to Add and Subtract Rational Numbers 2
The ninth part in a 25-part series emphasizes the importance of using properties of operations in evaluating sums and differences of rational numbers. Pupils solve problems and provide justifications for each step.
Illustrative Mathematics
Hexagonal Pattern of Beehives
Young geometers and biologists investigate the math of nature in an activity that is just the bee's knees. Participants will study the tessellations of hexagons in a beehive, along with the natural rationale behind the specific shape....
Teaching Tolerance
Mass Incarceration as a Form of Racialized Social Control
Mass incarceration: A result of a tough stance on crime or racial discrimination, you decide. Academics explore the history and reasons behind mass incarcerations in the United States and its impact on ethnic communities. 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
Properties of Trigonometric Functions
Given a value of one trigonometric function, it is easy to determine others. Learners use the periodicity of trigonometric functions to develop properties. After studying the graphs of sine, cosine, and tangent, the activity...
Friends of Fort McHenry
A Just War or Just a War?
What, if anything, makes a war "just"? This is an interesting and important question to explore with your class, and you can utilize an excellent lesson plan to support your group inquiry. The American Revolution and the War of 1812...
Curated OER
Rights of the Accused: To Be Confronted with the Witnesses Against Him
Students take on the role of Supreme Court Justices, after reading summary of a case and the arguments for and against a defendant's appeal. They make a decision, write majority and minority opinions, and report their decision.
Inside Mathematics
Quadrilaterals
What figure is formed by connecting the midpoints of the sides of a quadrilateral? The geometry assessment task has class members work through the process of determining the figure inscribed in a quadrilateral. Pupils use geometric...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment: Justification for Character and Scene Selection
When it comes to love and midsummer nights, confessions are tricky. Learners place themselves in the shoes of a character from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and explain how a character manipulated another character in...
CK-12 Foundation
Properties of Equality and Congruence: Justifying Algebraic Steps
No need to justify using this resource. Learners drag justifications for each step of solving an equation in an interactive. To see if they are correct, all they need to do is use a slider and the correct answers appear.
College Board
2009 AP® Calculus AB Free-Response Questions
What was one of the big takeaways from 2009? By reviewing the released AP® Calculus free-response questions, pupils and teachers realize that performing mathematics is not all there is to doing well on the exam. Several items require...
Texas Instruments
A Tale of Two Lines
Students graph systems of equation. In this calculus lesson, students graph their lines on a TI calculator. They identify the point of intersection and the type of solution.
Illustrative Mathematics
Joining Two Midpoints of Sides of a Triangle
Without ever using the actual term, this exercise has the learner develop the key properties of the midsegment of a triangle. This task leads the class to discover a proof of similar triangles using the properties of parallel...
EngageNY
Informal Proofs of Properties of Dilations
Challenge the class to prove that the dilation properties always hold. The lesson develops an informal proof of the properties of dilations through a discussion. Two of the proofs are verified with each class member performing the...
EngageNY
Informal Proof of AA Criterion for Similarity
What does it take to show two triangles are similar? The 11th segment in a series of 16 introduces the AA Criterion for Similarity. A discussion provides an informal proof of the theorem. Exercises and problems require scholars to apply...
CCSS Math Activities
Smarter Balanced Sample Items: 6th Grade Math – Claim 3
Communication is key. Eight sample items show how important communication and reasoning is for sixth grade mathematics. Part of the Claim 2-4 slide show series, the presentation uses concepts from fifth and sixth grade to illicit...
Flipped Math
Calculus AB/BC - Exploring Behaviors of Implicit Relations
Put everything together implicitly. Pupils use their knowledge of implicit differentiation to determine whether a curve is increasing or decreasing or its concavity. Given a differential equation, scholars determine whether a specific...
Mathematics Vision Project
Module 5: Modeling with Geometry
Solids come in many shapes and sizes. Using geometry, scholars create two-dimensional cross-sections of various three-dimensional objects. They develop the lesson further by finding the volume of solids. The module then shifts...
Curated OER
Peanut Butter and Jelly: The Importance of Detailed Procedures
Students write a list of steps to be taken in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They observe as the instructor literally follows each step. After realizing the importance of clear communication, students write a scientific...
NASA
The Science of the Sun
There's more to that glowing ball of light in sky than most children realize. From the overall structure of the solar system, to the changing of the seasons, these hands-on lessons open the eyes of young scientists to...
Balanced Assessment
Oops! Glass Top
A short assessment asks participants to find the original radius required to replace a table top. The problem provides a hypothetical situation of having a segment of a broken glass table top. Pupils find the radius of the...
EngageNY
Analyzing How Rainforest Scientists Communicate Their Research (Pages 39–42)
How do you say that? Learners read pages 39-42 of The Most Beautiful
Roof in the World to analyze how the rainforest scientists communicate their research. They record their ideas in a KWL chart and then work in groups to explain...