Space Awareness
How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Readers
Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...
Balanced Assessment
Fermi Estimates I
Enrico Fermi, the physicist responsible for the first nuclear detonation, was known for his ability to estimate with little or no data. Use this task to have your classes practice their Fermi skills. They estimate the magnitude of three...
National Gallery of Canada
Counting Circles
Learners look at bands of colors and estimate how many rings of color there are. While working in groups, they come up with a plan of how to accurately count the rings. They attempt to find a pattern in the colors, and decide whether...
Curated OER
Earthquakes In Your State
In this earthquake worksheet students complete an interactive activity then answer a series of short answer questions on different earthquakes and their magnitude, and epicenter.
Curated OER
Earthquake Power
For this earthquakes worksheet, students learn about the measurements of earthquakes on the Richter scale. They answer six questions about the magnitudes and sizes of earthquakes using two tables of data about earthquakes and the Richter...
EngageNY
Estimating Quantities
Apply the concept of magnitude to estimate values and compare numbers. The ninth lesson of the 15-part series asks learners to write numbers to their next greatest power of 10 and then make comparisons. Scholars begin to understand the...
Curated OER
Types And Magnitudes Of Earthquakes
Students investigate the concept of earthquakes and the different types of magnitudes. They research the Richter scale and how it is used to measure the intensities of earthquakes. Students then apply the concept by completing a...
NTTI
Vectors: Traveling, But in What Direction
High schoolers watch a video of real-world situations regarding speed, direction, velocity, force, etc. and answer questions while viewing. They then practice drawing and using vectors to solve more real-world problems.
Illustrative Mathematics
How Thick Is a Soda Can II?
Science, technology, and math come together in this one combination exercise. Analyzing the common soda can from both a purely mathematical perspective and a scientific angle allows for a surprisingly sophisticated comparison of...
Curated OER
Explorations in Estimation
Experimenting with two different techniques, oung mathematicians estimate how many little things fit into a bigger thing. They watch and discuss a short video, conduct the two estimates, one by weight and one by volume, and record the...
Curated OER
Earth Moon Scaling
A wonderful lesson incorporating math and physics skills along with specific details about the planetary bodies. The cross-curricular approach makes for a valid activity to challenge multiple ages and abilities. Your class could work in...
It's About Time
Our Community's Place Among the Stars
But isn't the Milky Way a candy bar? Lead a detailed discussion on the complex topic of our solar system and the Milky Way Galaxy as the class explores stellar evolution, structure, and investigates the relationship between luminosity...
Curated OER
Exploring a Galaxy
For this galaxy worksheet, students use the Internet or other resources to answer 13 questions about the galaxy NGC-1232. They are given a photograph of the galaxy to help determine the width and diameter of certain regions of the galaxy.
Curated OER
Math, Calories and You
Discover the connection between calories and weight. Pupils multiply their body weight times calorie estimates for various physical activities to calculate calories burned per minute and per hour. Worksheets a well as website links are...
Curated OER
Estimation and Approximation
For this estimation and approximation worksheet, students determine the estimated value of given multiplication and division problems containing decimals. They round answers to the nearest whole number. This two-page worksheet contains...
Curated OER
Too Many Tens
Students practice grouping in different ways by putting numbers up to 1,000 in the correct place value. In this place value lesson plan, students estimate items in a jar and then count them out by grouping them by 10s.
Illustrative Mathematics
Solar Eclipse
Learners take on the role of astronomers, calculating conditions necessary for a total solar eclipse. Concepts of similar triangles and properties of circles come together as pupils create ratios and use real measurements in determining...
NASA
Discovering Some of Your “Yardsticks” Are Actually “Meter-sticks”
The Milky Way gets great reviews on Trip Advisor — 100 million stars. The activity allows scholars to rethink their assumptions and prior knowledge. Pupils observe a set of two lights at equal distance and brightness, but they believe...
Bowland
How Risky is Life?
"Life is more risk management, rather than exclusion of risks." -Walter Wriston. Scholars use provided mortality data to determine how likely it is a person will die from a particular cause. They compare the data to the perception of the...
Curated OER
Virtual Earthquake
Students visit a website that features online interactive geology and biology simulations. They observe and estimate the amplitude of the largest wave and transfer the information to a nomogram. Based on the nomogram students will...
Illustrative Mathematics
Accuracy of Carbon 14 Dating II
The scientific issue of carbon-14 dating and exponential decay gets a statistics-based treatment in this problem. The class starts with a basic investigation of carbon content, but then branches out to questions of accuracy and ranges of...
Curated OER
10 Huh?
Students use powers of ten to make reasonable estimations for list of questions. They share their problem solving techniques with the class.
Curated OER
Pea Brain! Explorations in Estimation
Students estimate how many peas fit in a container. In this science lesson, students calculate the weight of a pea and record it. They use this data to calculate how many peas fit in a human brain.
Curated OER
"How Many, How Much" by Shel Silverstein
Learners decide on the reasonableness and relative magnitude of situations in their lives as Shel Silverstein did in the poem "How Many, How Much."