Lesson Plan
Captain Planet Foundation

Frog Garden Party! Toads and Triangles in the Math Garden

For Teachers 4th Standards
It's frog party time! With frog banners, frog juice, and a triangle hunt, your garden party is sure to be both entertaining and educational. The lesson connects geometry, earth science, and delicious snacks to teach kids about ecosystems...
Activity
Big Kid Science

Measuring Shadows Using an Ancient Method

For Teachers 8th - 12th
How did ancient peoples determine the height of really tall objects? Young scientists and mathematicians explore the concept of using shadows to measure height in a hands-on experiment. Paired pupils measure shadows, then calculate the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Refraction Through a Triangle

For Students 9th - 12th
In this refraction through a triangle worksheet, high schoolers use a given diagram of light striking a triangular piece of plexiglass to determine the light ray's angle of incidence, the ray's angle of refraction, they use Snell's Law...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Angular Size and Similar Triangles

For Students 8th - 10th
In this angular size and similar triangles worksheet, students use the properties of similar triangles and the ratios of sides to solve for unknowns in given diagrams.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Tall is that Tree?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners use their feet to measure distance between themselves and a tree trunk.  In this distance lesson, students use the number of steps, and string to measure distances and height of the tree.  Learners can get the tree...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tennis Triangle

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners calculate the height of a tree or flagpole. They measure the shadow of the tree or flagpole and the length of a shadow of a meterstick. Using similar triangles, calculate the heigh. Devise two additional ways in which to measure...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Physics Lab Rockets

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners construct and test balloon rockets and a model rocket. In this rocket science activity, students use an inquiry-based method to master balloon rockets and have a shoot-off with the goal of attaining the highest altitude. Next,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reflections Of

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students create angles using mirrors. In this angle reflection lesson, students draw angles, then use mirrors to create angles using reflections and measure the new angles.
Lesson Plan
Las Cumbres Observatory

The Cosmic Distance Ladder: Parallax

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Scientists don't have a ruler long enough to measure to the stars, so they rely on math. Scholars learn to calculate the distance from Earth to a star using the parallax method. They use angle measures from different perspectives to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geometry In Space

For Teachers 9th - 12th
How can we identify shapes in the Universe? High schoolers will compare and contrast elliptic and hyperbolic geometry. They will also explore one possible way to measure the curvature of the Universe, namely, by measuring the sum of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Anti-Gravity Machine

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Learners examine physics by completing a bicycle experiment in class. In this gravity instructional activity, students measure the characteristics of different bicycles and compare their different race times. Learners utilize a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Altitude Locator

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars use protractors, strings, and straws to construct a device used to determine the height of tall objects. In this applied geometry lesson, students use common objects to construct a tangent height guide. They use principles...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Aurora Borealis

For Students 9th - 11th
In this Aurora Borealis instructional activity, students read about how early scientists used triangulation to measure the height of the Aurora Borealis. Students solve 3 problems using triangulation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Measurement via Triangulation

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students utilize triangulation techniques to determine altitudes of objects. An altitude locator is constructed and used to determine the height of a building or a tree. Tangent tables and formulas provide the ratio for the formula to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geometry of Exploration: Eyes Over Mars

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Pupils research how engineers and scientists generate linear and angular measurements with geometry to survey the Earth and Mars. They assess how geometric shapes affect navigation. A surveyor comes to the classroom and explains how he...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Many Regular Polyhedrons Are There In This or Any Universe?

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the idea of "regularity" as it pertains to geometry.  In this geometry lesson students complete several assignments that are part of trihedral angles and regular polyhedrons.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Distance And Parallax

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students will determine distances to nearby stars using parallax. In this Astronomy lesson plan, students will use a web program, trigonometry, and sketches to determine the distance of stars.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Pan's Highway-Saturn's Rings

For Students 9th - 11th
In this Pan's highway worksheet, students read about the Cassini spacecraft that discovered how Pan clears out the ring debris in the outer A-ring system of Saturn. Students use an image taken by the satellite to find the scale of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Follow the Falling Meteorite

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use triangulation method to locate meteorite landing site on the map. In this earth science instructional activity, students participate in a meteorite treasure hunt set up by the teacher. They explain how this method is used by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Clasroom Study of the Life of an Airplane

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students participate in an experiment to discover the properties of lift. They work together to complete calculations and collect data. They share their results with the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Launches for the Stars

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students are introduced to rockets and the space shuttle program. After viewing a 1960s show, they examine the role and history of NASA and how it evolved into having a space shuttle program. In groups, they create their own model rocket...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Follow The Falling Meteorite

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners investigate the supposed traveling path of a meteorite. They use sound in order to triangulate the path. The results of the experiment are written on a map to display the path of the meteorite. The culminating activity is when...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Invisible Radar Triangle

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students learn about radar imaging and its various military and civilian applications that include recognition and detection of human-made targets, and the monitoring of space, deforestation, and oil spills. They use technology tools to...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Angular Measure 2

For Students 9th - 10th
Looking for an easier way to do angular measurements? This page introduces you to a trick by using skinny triangles with small angles. The skinny triangles lets the astronomer assume right triangles and then they can use trigonometry to...