Balanced Assessment
Cost of Living
Math scholars investigate the cost of living in Hong Kong compared to Chicago but must first convert the different types of currency. They then choose a type of graph to compare different spending categories and finish the activity by...
Curated OER
Mt. Whitney to Death Valley
This is an intriguing problem that brings together real-world data, technology, and mathematical problem solving. If visibility wasn't an issue, could you see from the highest point in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney, to the lowest...
Concord Consortium
Here Comes the Sun
Many phenomena in life are periodic in nature. A task-based lesson asks scholars to explore one of these phenomena. They collect data showing the sunrise time of a specific location over the period of a year. Using the data, they create...
Illustrative Mathematics
Global Positioning System II
Intricate details of a modern technology that many of us take for granted in our phones, computers (and some cars) are laid bare in a short but deeply investigative activity. The math behind a seemingly simple GPS device...
Balanced Assessment
Catenary
Develop a model for a hanging chain. Pupils find a mathematical model for a hanging chain and then they compare their models to the precise function that models the curve. Scholars come up with a strategy to determine how close...
Balanced Assessment
Getting Closer
Flip the script! Reverse the situation and ask the class to find the function given asymptotes. The task requires class members to use their knowledge of functions and asymptotes to create functions that have a given asymptote or...
Concord Consortium
Graphical Depictions
Parent functions and their combinations create unique graphical designs. Learners explore these relationships with a progressive approach. Beginning with linear equations and inequalities and progressing to more complex functions,...
Concord Consortium
The Line and the Ellipse
What do a line and an ellipse have in common? Maybe zero, one, or two points! Learners consider the equation of an ellipse and a line to determine if their graphs have any shared points. They then write a system of equations, including...
Concord Consortium
Symbolic Similarity
How many things does one transformation tell you? Learners compare and contrast the graphs of different parent functions with the same transformation. Using a rational and absolute value function, pupils identify key features of their...
Concord Consortium
Swimming Pool II
Combine geometry and algebra concepts to solve a modeling problem. Young scholars consider the effect surface area has on volume. They write a cubic function to model the possible volume given a specific surface area and then...
Concord Consortium
More or Less
How long can the cable get? A short performance task provides learners with information on the length of cables and the margin of error for each. They must determine the longest and shortest cable possible by splicing these cables.
Teach Engineering
Applications of Linear Functions
It's not so straightforward — lines can model a variety of applications. Pupils experience linear relationships within the context of science, including Hooke's and Ohm's Laws. Class members got a taste of motion and speed from the...