PHET
Equality Explorer: Basics
Not all interactives are made equal. Scholars use an interactive balance to explore the concept of equality. They place different objects on balances to determine the number of each object needed to balance the scale.
Radford University
Filling Up a Swimming Pool Task
Swimming pools are no fun without water. For a pool in the shape of a trapezoidal prism, scholars first calculate the amount of water needed to fill the pool. They use experimental data on water flow to determine whether to haul water...
Radford University
Choosing the Best Cylinders
Don't be fooled: the taller glass doesn't always hold the most. Given the dimensions of different cylindrical containers for beverages and popcorn, pupils calculate the volumes. They see how changing the dimensions affects the volume and...
Radford University
Coal Silo Design Task
The coal is mined. Now what? Scholars design a coal silo that stores mined earth using at least two different three-dimensional shapes. They calculate the volume, determine the amount of mined earth produced in a day, and find the amount...
Radford University
How Do I Design a Raised Bed Garden to Accommodate My Plants?
Give plants the best place to grow. Given constraints on plant spacing, pupils design a raised bed garden using graph paper, then calculate the perimeter, surface area, and volume. They use the provided costs of lumber and soil to...
Bowland
Ice Cream
Make sure there is enough ice cream on hand. Learners try to find out how much ice cream to buy for a sports event. Scholars use a pie chart showing the percent of a sample of people who like different flavors of ice cream. Using the...
Bowland
Taxi Cabs
Determine the cheapest way to the airport. Pupils read a scenario about trying to get 75 people to the airport using two different sizes of taxis. Learners calculate the number of smaller taxis needed given a number of large taxis and...
Curated OER
Modeling Linear Relationships
Students graph lines using the slope and y-intercept. In this algebra lesson plan, students create data using tables and equations. They use their data to make predictions and draw conclusion.
Howard County Schools
Constant Rate Exploration
Question: What do rectangles and bathtub volume have in common? Answer: Linear equations. Learn how to identify situations that have constant rates by examining two different situations, one proportional and one not proportional.
Achieve
Framing a House
If members of your class wonder where they can use the math they learn in middle school, let them discover the answer. Learners apply geometry concepts of scale and measure to calculate the costs of framing a house addition.
Achieve
Corn and Oats
How much land does a parcel hold? How much fertilizer does it take for a field of corn? Pupils answer these questions and more as they apply ratio reasoning and unit analysis.
Illustrative Mathematics
Kimi and Jordan
Kimi and Jordan have taken summer jobs to supplement their weekly allowances. Kimi earns more per hour than Jordan, but Jordan's weekly allowance is greater. This activity asks students to determine how the incomes of the two workers...
NASA
Understanding the Effects of Differences in Speed—Problem Set D
Fall back and slow down. The fourth lesson in a six-part series on air traffic control leads the class to find the difference in distance traveled based upon the difference in speed. Pupils work through a problem related to walking...
Curated OER
Baseball Proportion
Students work on different mathematical skills that align with state standards. The skill of problem solving is done with reasoning and communication is made to students through solid brain connections to the math concepts.
Curated OER
Size It Up: Map Skills
Compare information from a US population cartogram and a standard US map. Learners draw conclusions about population density by analyzing census data a population distribution. They discover that census data is used to apportion seats in...
Helping with Math
Ratio and Proportion: Writing Ratios (2 of 2)
Elementary and middle schoolers use pictures to figure out simple ratios and complete ratio word problems. An example is done for learners in which three apples and seven oranges are displayed. The answer simply is a ratio of 3:7. The...
Helping with Math
Ratio and Proportion: More Writing Ratio
Three ratio word problems make up this concise assignment. Mathematicians compare blondes to redheads, red and white shirts, and action-adventure and sports video games. The write ratios to answer the questions. Use this as a class warm...
Curated OER
Mixing Up Ratios
Students solve problems of ratio and proportions using hands on. In this algebra instructional activity, students vary the concentration of a fruit drink using parts of a ratio.
Curated OER
Proportions in Stories
Students solve problems dealing with ratios and proportions. In this algebra activity, students rewrite word problems using equations and symbols. They correctly convert between percents and decimals.
Curated OER
Proportionality in Tables, Graphs, and Equations
Students create different methods to analyze their data. In this algebra instructional activity, students differentiate between proportion and non-proportional graph. They use the TI-Navigator to create the graphs and move them around to...
Curated OER
Problem Solving
In this problem solving learning exercise, students read story problems, set up the equations and determine the answer to the problem. They use words to justify their reasoning. This two-page learning exercise contains 5 problems...
Curated OER
Proportional Patterns
In this mathematics learning exercise on measurement, 5th graders complete several word problems on locating proportional patterns. Then they complete each table with the correct measurements and times for each problem.
Illustrative Mathematics
Harvesting the Fields
This problem involving rates may look simple at first, but it is actually quite challenging. Two different sized fields are harvested by a team of workers and learners must use different rates to calculate the number of workers on the...
NASA
Lunar Colonization
A five-lesson unit challenges teams to design a complex to allow people to colonize the Moon. The teams first work in order to understand the challenge before becoming experts. Expert teams learn about different aspects needed to survive...