National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
National Debt and Wars
Take a functional approach to the national debt. Learners collect information about the national debt by decade and plot the data. They determine whether an exponential curve is a good fit for the data by comparing the percent changes...
Inside Mathematics
Quadratic (2009)
Functions require an input in order to get an output, which explains why the answer always has at least two parts. After only three multi-part questions, the teacher can analyze pupils' strengths and weaknesses when it comes to quadratic...
Curated OER
Area, Surface Area and Volume of 3-D Shapes
Math whizzes examine the relationship between area and volume and the relationship between a 3-D shape and its surface area. Following discussion and practice, pupils participate in a project in which they design packaging for a new...
Curated OER
Charting the Heights
Students enter data regarding the height of classmates into a spreadsheet. Formulas will also be entered to find the median, mean, and mode of the data.
Curated OER
Spreadsheet Activity
Students create a spreadsheet to match a given sample. This includes adjusting column width and row height, changing alignment, changing size and style of print, changing number format.
Curated OER
Spreadsheets - WP9/Quattro Pro
Students discover spreadsheet applications using Quattro Pro. They demonstrate basic knowledge and application of hardware, software, and Internet use. They recognize and appreciate the value of recording keeping, data input and data...
Curated OER
Party Math
Students create a spreadsheet that they will use to plan a small party or outing. They calculate expenses and stay within a budget amount for their party.
Curated OER
Time Management
Students plot activities for a 24 hour day. They record their information on a spread sheet program. Students list categories they use and write equations for cells that add cells of each category together. Students create a pie chart of...
Curated OER
A "Capital" Idea
Eighth graders prepare for a field trip to Washington, DC by researching landmark, monument, or building in Washington. They use the information in small groups to design a multimedia presentation. They include a spreadsheet that shows...
Curated OER
Star Light...Star Bright
In this brightness of stars learning exercise, high schoolers use a given formula using the temperature in Kelvins of a star to find its brightness. Students solve 4 problems using this equation.
Curated OER
Triangle Midsegment
Learn how to calculate the length and midsegments of triangles. Students differentiate between similar and congruent triangles. They create a spreadsheet with their findings.
Curated OER
How Much Does That Car Cost?
Students calculate how much it costs to buy a used car and finance it through a bank. They select a car from the newspaper, conduct Internet research on current auto loan interest information for four different states, and create a...
Curated OER
Geometric Sequences and Series
Learn to calculate the nth term of a sequence defined by an algebraic expression. They examine geometric sequences and series, relate geometric sequences to their explicit forms, find the partial sums of a sequence in a table, and...
Curated OER
Code Crackers Math Game
Students, through this math game, are provided with opportunities to work with math operations and simple algebraic equations. They create a spreadsheet-based "rule machine."
Curated OER
A Mathematical Model of the Sun
In this mathematical model of the sun worksheet, students read about the way scientists use the sun's radius and mass to determine a mathematical model of the sun using the volume of a sphere, and the relationship between density, volume...
Curated OER
The Statistics of Shoes
Students open a blank spreadsheet and format it for a class survey about the number of shoes owned by the men and women in the class. They enter the data before finding the mean, median, mode, quartiles, variance, and the standard...
Curated OER
Sea Level Trends ~ Ocean Front Property: An "Immerging" Market
Young oceanographers take a look at sea level data from several cities over a few centuries. They use the data to fuel a discussion about what kind of changes are taking place and the impact they are having on the coastal ecosystems....
Curated OER
What's your favorite physical fitness activity?
Fourth graders engage in a class discussion where they create a list of their favorite physical fitness activities. They tally the numbers on the board and use Microsoft Excel to create a spreadsheet and graph of the activities.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Simple and Compound Interest
Your learners will get lots of practice calculating simple and compound interest by the end of this lesson. Simple explanations and examples lead learners through the concepts and steps of calculating simple and compound interest...
Noyce Foundation
Which is Bigger?
To take the longest path, go around—or was that go over? Class members measure scale drawings of a cylindrical vase to find the height and diameter. They calculate the actual height and circumference and determine which is larger.
California Education Partners
Animals of Rhomaar
Investigate the growth rates of alien animals. Pupils study fictional animals from another planet to determine how much they grow per year. The investigators plot the growth of their animals over a period of time and then compare them to...
Curated OER
Daily Time Ratios
Students track and record how much time they spend on each activity. In this spreadsheet lesson plan, students apply different functions using Microsoft excel to format cells and calculate the sum of their total time spent each day. They...
Curated OER
Introductory Excel Lesson involving Problem Solving
Sixth graders analyze an introductory lesson for Microsoft Excel. They go step by step through the creation of a basic spreadsheet and the use of simple formulas in a problem solving format.
Curated OER
Problem Solving with Batting Averages
Fifth graders use data from an Excel document to analyze and predict trends in batting averages.