Virginia Department of Education
Curve of Best Fit
Which function models the data best? Pupils work through several activities to model data with a variety of functions. Individuals begin by reviewing the shapes of the functions and finding functions that will fit plotted data points. By...
Illustrative Mathematics
Sore Throats, Variation 2
What does math have to do with a sore throat? When you mix water and salt you have a great review of how to represent proportional relationships by an equation or graph. Here the proportions of the mixtures may be different, but the...
Curated OER
Comparing Light Bulbs
An average home produces twice as many emissions as an average car. Teach your class how to reduce energy consumption by replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Perform an experiment to compare...
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 has individuals work on an assessment task based on similar triangles, then groups them based on their...
Mascil Project
Circular Pave-Stones Backyard
Pack the lesson into your plans. Young mathematicians learn about packing and optimization with the context of circular paving stones. They use coins to model the paving stones, and then apply knowledge of circles and polygons to...
Polar Trec
Ozone Data Comparison over the South Pole
Did you know the hole in the ozone is seasonal and filled by January every year? The lesson uses scientific measurements of the ozone over the South Pole to understand patterns. Scholars learn that the hole grew bigger annually before...
Statistics Education Web
You Will Soon Analyze Categorical Data (Classifying Fortune Cookie Fortunes)
Would you rely on a fortune cookie for advice? The lesson plan first requires future statisticians to categorize 100 fortune cookie fortunes into four types: prophecy, advice, wisdom, and misc. The lesson plan goes on to have learners...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Triangle Congruence with Rigid Motion
Combine transformations and triangle congruence in a single lesson. Scholars learn to view congruent triangles as a rigid transformation. Using triangle congruence criteria, learners identify congruent triangles and the rigid...
American Statistical Association
How Random Is the iPod’s Shuffle?
Shuffle the resource into your lesson repertoire. Scholars use randomly-generated iPod Shuffle playlists to develop ideas about randomness. They use a new set of playlists to confirm their ideas, and then decide whether the iPod randomly...
Curated OER
The Game is Afoot - A Study of Sherlock Holmes
Mystery is an exciting genre for young readers to investigate. The plots are so intriguing! Here is a series of lessons featuring Sherlock Holmes stories that invite learners to enter the world of the mystery genre. Based on what...
Curated OER
Linear, Square, and Cubic Units
Linear, square, and cubic units are all investigated as different types of packages are measured. The teacher will need supplies such as a box of aluminum foil, a package of ribbon, and a bag of mulch. The class determines the...
Curated OER
Garden Scavenger Hunt
Second graders examine the metric system. In this metric system lesson plan, 2nd graders compare measurements of common objects in metric units. Students compete in a garden scavenger hunt.
Curated OER
Area Applet
Elementary math classes calculate the area of a shape and explain the correlation between the size of the perimeter and the areas that can be contained within that perimeter. They also explain the effect the shape of the perimeter has on...
Curated OER
You Can't Go Wrong with a Right Triangle 2
Upper graders use the properties of right angle trignonmetry to measure objects such as the school flagpole. They solve real world problems using these properties.
Curated OER
Shaking Up Ice Cream
Upper graders use a variety of tools to measure liquid and solid ingredients in an ice cream making recipe. Following written and oral directions and accurately timing themselves forms the basis of this lesson.
Curated OER
Cylinders and Scale
Students review what a cylinder is and how a cylinder is measured. They build a variety of cylinders with different heights and radii. They compare the surface area and volume of each cylinder and discuss anything that surprises them...
Curated OER
A Special Relationship
Students discover the relationships of the lengths of the sides of right triangles and right triangles using a series of drawings on dot paper. They investigate and solve problems of standard (customary and metric units) and non-standard...
Curated OER
Get Me to the Premiere on Time
Students discover how to calculate speed, distance, and rate. In this problem solving lesson plan, students view an episode of "Cyberchase" and use the distance formula to determine the fastest route that the main character in the...
Curated OER
Spring Doesn't Bug Me
Pupils make a ladybug art item using math vocabulary and measurements of circles. Ladybugs are made using a compass. Once the bug is complete, attach a previously-written Haiku to it.
Curated OER
Measurement
Middle schoolers create two prisms out of the same paper. They calcuate the number of centimeter cubes needed to fill each prism. They discover the concept of volume.
Curated OER
How Many Units?
Young mathematicians calculate the area of rectangles and squares. In this geometry lesson, learners are grouped in pairs and use geoboards to construct rectangles. They calculate the area of the figure by counting the number of square...
Curated OER
Metric Hugs
Students predict, plan, and gather information for a metric measuring challenge. They cooperatively measure the perimeter of their school building using appropriate tools according to a plan they devise together. Students create...
Curated OER
What is my Angle? App
Learners estimate angle measures in this this estimating angle measures activity. They use an application on their graphing calculator that shows various settings involving angles and then they estimate the angle measure of a clock's...
Curated OER
Indirect Measurement, Surveying Trigonometry
Students measure distances using indirect measurements. In this geometry lesson, students apply proportion and ratios to measure heights of different objects. They differentiate between direct and indirect measurements.