Radford University
Mathematical Modeling: Lesson 1
Will more deer result in more big game licenses? Scholars first research data on the number of deer and the number of big game licenses in Virginia between 1990 to 2009. They apply polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic regression to...
Radford University
Mathematical Modeling: Lessons 2-3
Not all functions are created equal. Pupils apply regression analysis using polynomial, exponential, and logarithmic functions to investigate the relationship between variables and to decide which function would be best to model the...
Radford University
Danger! – An Analysis of the Death Toll of Natural Disasters
Decipher the danger of natural disasters. Using researched data, scholars work in groups to create data displays on the number of deaths from different types of natural disasters. They share their graphical representations with the class...
Radford University
A Little Devil In Need of Help
Math modeling to help endangered species? Scholars first investigate linear and exponential equations and graphs that model fictitious animal populations. They consider how key features of the graphs relate to the situation. As a final...
Radford University
Right Triangle Sports
Who knew math could help with sports? An invigorating set of lessons encourages learners to apply right triangles in baseball, volleyball, hockey, football, and soccer. They use the Pythagorean Theorem, Pythagorean triples, special right...
Radford University
Budgeting Your Time and Money
Use mathematics to better manage money. Pupils learn about budgets and personal finance with a set of three lessons. They research salary data for their chosen careers, look up various costs of living to develop budgets, and plan an...
Radford University
Pollution and Curves of Best Fit
Don't put the resource on curves of best fit out on the curb. Using researched data on trash and recycling, scholars create scatter plots and regression curves to analyze the information. As a culminating activity, they complete projects...
Radford University
Are You Faster than Bacteria?
Just how fast does bacteria grow? Over the course of three lessons, pupils investigate exponential growth with the use of bacteria growth. During the lesson, bacteria from a cell phone is grown to make a connection to real life. Using...
Radford University
Triangular Irrigation
Try to keep the pipe short. Learners investigate where to place a water pump to use the least amount of pipe. Scholars use their knowledge of reflections and congruent triangles to find the best location for the water pump. Finally, they...
Radford University
Understanding Local Economic Issues Using Statistics
A good understanding of local economics requires a lot of data. Scholars design and conduct an experimental survey to collect information about economic issues affecting their regions. They analyze their findings and prepare a...
National Woman's History Museum
Defying British Rule: Women's Contributions to The American Revolution
Primary and secondary sources are the focus of a lesson that showcases the important role women played during the American Revolution. Pairs review sources and discuss their findings. A close-reading of an informational text leads the...
National Woman's History Museum
The Power of Words and Activism: Susan B. Anthony
Where have all the activists gone? Class members compare 21st-century activism with the suffrage movement and the work of Susan B. Anthony. They begin by examining Anthony's biography and speeches to find evidence that her words and...
Radford University
How Tall Is It?
Find the height from afar. Teams role play as summer interns to find the height of a set of windows from the outside. Scholars must first determine how to find the height with the available tools. After determining a strategy involving...
Radford University
How Is Your Gender Represented?
Does the media shape people's views on gender? Scholars use data on gender portrayal in magazines to explore the idea. They use a spreadsheet program to create bar graphs and perform a chi-square test. They also use provided data to...
Radford University
Real World Data
Make math class feel more real by using real-world data. Scholars research or collect data on several different topics, such as nutrition, the motion of moving objects, cooling curves, and daylight hours. They create scatter plots using...
Radford University
Fun with Solids
Geometry is all around us—if we're only willing to look. The final three activities of the Fun with Solids unit continue work on surface area and volume. For lesson three, scholars investigate the formulas for spheres and solve a problem...
Radford University
Fun with Solids
Cakes offer a yummy way to learn about math. Scholars use manipulatives to discover the formulas for the surface area and volume of prisms and cylinders. They use their formulas to calculate the amount of cake mix and frosting necessary...
Radford University
Fun with Solids
Unlike a volcano, the lesson won't blow up in your face. Young mathematicians use dried beans to discover the relationship between the volumes of cones and cylinders and to write a formula for the volume of a cone. They then research...
Radford University
Surface Area and Volume
Who knew there were pyramids in China? Learners apply surface area and volume formulas to several different real-world situations. They calculate the volume and surface area of an aquarium, an ice cream cone, and Egyptian and Chinese...
Radford University
How do I Prepare this Piece of Floor Tile to Lay on the Bottom of my Kitchen Sink Cabinet?
How can you place a rectangular tile around a pipe? Scholars first use a model of a kitchen sink cabinet to take measurements. Using a compass and their knowledge of circles, they then cut out a circle from a piece of poster board (which...
Radford University
Google Earth Trip
Travel the world instantly—and learn about math along the way. Using pictures of famous places taken from Google Earth, scholars look for parallel and perpendicular lines based on slope and angle measurements. They also calculate...
Radford University
Ancient Aqueduct Analysis Project
Let the class' knowledge of geometry flow like water in an aqueduct. Future mathematicians research ancient Roman aqueducts and consider the geometric concepts necessary in their construction. They then use GeoGebra to create models of...
Radford University
Football Tackle Problem
Tackle a task on the gridiron. Scholars use geometric concepts to determine the distance on a coordinate plane that certain football players need to move for a play. They then design their own plays and create presentations where they...
Radford University
Summer Woes!
Who can afford the computer required to land a summer job? Pupils work in pairs to solve problems related to finding the number of hours needed to work to purchase a given item. Individuals then work on a performance-based assessment to...