Curated OER
Temperature Conversions
Your young weather buffs use compositions and inverses of functions to convert between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Kelvin degrees. Then they analyze possible compositions and whether they exist in the real-life context.
Curated OER
Model Air Plane Acrobatics
Your young airplane enthusiasts will enjoy this collaborative task of graphing an airplane's distance from the ground as it flies in a perfect circle. They will discover that they have graphed a sinusoidal function that comes from the...
Curated OER
Your Father
Your learners will explore the idea that not all functions have real numbers as domain and range values as seen in this real-life context. Secondly, the characteristics required for a function to have an inverse are explored including...
Curated OER
In the Billions and Linear Modeling
Your learners analyze population data to discern if it best fits a linear scenario. The idea of change by equal differences over equal intervals is enforced in this real-life task.
Curated OER
In the Billions and Exponential Modeling
Modeling population growth gives learners an opportunity to experiment with real data. Comparing the growth rates in this real-life task strengthens learners' understanding that exponential functions change by equal factors over equal...
Curated OER
Interesting Interest Rates
Your young bankers compare earning interest accumulated yearly and monthly to decide which method most increases their balance. Using an exponential function to model the bank balance affords the learners more practice connecting...
Curated OER
Sandia Aerial Tram
Your learners analyze a table of real-life data in order to write an equation that best models the information. Exponential, quadratic, and linear rates of changes are all possibilities in this task.
Curated OER
Snail Invasion
Exponential growth is modeled by learners as they analyze and interpret the data presented in this real-life scenario centered on the destructive invasion of the Giant African Land Snail. Learners get a touch of history and practice...
Curated OER
Newton's Law of Cooling
Your Algebra learners analyze and solve an exponential equation in this popular, real-life model of the cooling of a liquid.
Curated OER
Taxi!
Your young taxi drivers evaluate and articulate the reasoning behind statements in a conceptual task involving linear data. The given data table of distances traveled and the resulting fare in dollars is used by learners to explore...
Curated OER
US Population 1982-1988
Your algebra learners make predictions using the concepts of a linear model from real-life data given in table form. Learners analyze and discuss solutions without having to write a linear equation.
Illustrative Mathematics
Bank Shot
Young geometers become pool sharks in this analysis of the angles and lengths of a trick shot. By using angles of incidence and reflection to develop similar triangles, learners plan the exact placement of balls to make the shot....
Illustrative Mathematics
Saving Money 2
Adding money is a key skill in life. Give a learning exercise that requires second graders to find the total amount of money Louis needs to make certain school supply purchases.
Illustrative Mathematics
Growing Bean Plants (Grade 2)
After planting a bean seed in a jar, young scientists observe the growth patterns over several days. As the bean becomes a sprout, and the sprout becomes a plant, partners measure and plot the data. They notice patterns, practice...
Curated OER
Start at the Very Beginning
Students explore ocean ecosystems. In this cross curriculum art and oceans lesson plan, students create a collage featuring three-finger algae using sand paper, tissue paper, and construction paper.
Illustrative Mathematics
Accuracy of Carbon 14 Dating I
Here is an activity that is intended to highlight a very important issue about precision in reporting and understanding statements in a realistic scientific context. Discuss different ways of reporting the half life of Carbon 14...
Curated OER
Investigating Immigration and Settlement in Wisconsin
Fourth graders identify the origins of their own ancestors and possible reasons for immigration. They research immigrant groups of Wisconsin, including origins and daily life, and then create timelines depicting their settlements.
Curated OER
Change Through Time
In this evolution worksheet, high schoolers will complete a table by writing in the era and biological event based on 4 different time periods of Earth's history. Students will answer 8 fill in the blank questions based on the different...
Curated OER
A Look Through My Antonia's Eyes
Thoroughly delve into My Antonia by Willa Cather with a plethora of activities. Engage scholars with videos and web sites in this week-long unit that explains the historical context and creates pioneers in the field of research. An...
Curated OER
Second Sun
Explore the elements of newspaper from the view of the front page. Young analysts create a front page of a newspaper geared toward teen readers. They use their inference skills to determine why some front pages are more eye-catching than...
Curated OER
Whose Rite Is It?
The class explores and debates, from multiple perspectives, a petition to allow Hopi Indians to take golden eagle hatchlings from a federal wildlife sanctuary for use in a religious ceremony. Pupils defend their personal views on the...
Curated OER
Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers
Help your class find their writing voices with this lesson which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher what they...
NOAA
Sediments
Calcareous ooze ... what an interesting name! The 15th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on sediments found on the ocean floor. After viewing the slideshow lecture,...
Curated OER
Discount and Sales Price
One of the most practical ways to teach about percentages is to use the real-life example of "sale" or "discount" pricing. This presentation poses many of these type of problems for young mathematicians who are trying to master the...