Find a way to work with rates. The 23rd part in a 29-part series presents work problems for the class to solve given work rates. Pupils compare rates to determine which is faster. Some problems require learners to convert the rates to...

Problems come in all shapes and sizes, but the first step in solving a problem is to identify just what the problem is. Through a series of games and activities, middle schoolers learn first to identify a problem, decide on a solution,...

Middle schoolers apply all they have learned in the Problem Solving module by participating in a contest to see which group can build the tallest tower using only sheets of paper and masking tape.

This inequality word problems activity is ideal to assess your learners' understanding of inequality and linear concepts around solving and writing equations and inequalities. Equations, graphs and real-life scenarios are used to...

"What should I do?" "How should I do it?" Middle Schoolers learn that answering these two questions is the key to solving problems. They begin with the first two steps of the Decision Making Process (gathering information and identifying...

Through grand conversation, help scholars identify issues that harm the Earth and find solutions on how to solve them. After voting—on what your class deems the most important problem—stretch writing muscles with a problem-solution...

Here is a great set of eight scenarios that require the writing of a one-variable inequality and then solving to find the solution. This inequality word problem activity is then followed by the solutions to each of the eight problems.

Why did Henry Ford want to invent a car for the masses? Why did Henry Ford locate his factory in Detroit? Why did Henry Ford encourage the idea of a 5-day work week? Young innovators find the answers to these and other question in a unit...

Your learners will appreciate the complete picture of linear inequalities presented in this lesson plan. Starting simply with definitions and moving all the way to solving linear inequality word problems this activity is simple to...

Encourage learners to think deeply about the information they read or hear. Through a series of life skills worksheets, your pupils will consider the need for objectivity, identifying missing information, and problem solving.

Middle schoolers continue to study the problem solving process by identifying the pros and cons of different options they listed on their "How Could I Do This" activity sheet from the previous lesson plan. After weighing the options,...

Changing ratios make for interesting problems. Pupils solve problems that involve ratios between two quantities that change. Groups use tape diagrams to represent and solve classroom exercises and share their solutions. 

After reading a one-page passage on how to understand and solve distance/rate problems, young mathematicians answer six word problems that have them correctly set up the formula in order to solve for the distnace, rate, or time in the...

Develop multiplication skills with your class. Youngsters will visualize multiplication as repeated addition. Then they will create a multiplication bug book and discover arrays as a strategy for multiplication problem solving....

Pupils read stories and discuss how to solve problems in their everyday lives. In this problem solving lesson plan, students also role play problems that they may have and discuss good solutions to their problems.

Class members choose a current social, political, environmental, or economic problem presented in Tyson Miller's Dream of a Nation: Inspiring Ideas for a Better America, research this problem and a variety of suggested solutions, before...

Are complex numbers and binomials similar? This stack of slides provides an introduction to complex numbers and shows how to operate with them. The worked examples show a connection between operating with binomials and operating with...

Introduce young mathematicians to concepts of financial literacy with this open-ended word problem. With seven dollars to spend during field day and given a list of available items and their prices, children must determine how they want...

Engineering design projects serve as great opportunities for collaborative problem solving. In this case, students work in small groups designing, building, and eventually testing a structure that meets a teacher-specified objective. It...

The United States leads the world in the percentage of obese adults and children. Why? What can be done about the problem? High school psychology classes adopt a problem-focused approach to investigating childhood obesity and then...

Pupils identify and explore ways leaders solve problems. In this leadership lesson, students use the FCCLA planning process to solve a given problem. Pupils report to the class the problem and their solution.

There is no more useful life skill to learn than budgeting and setting financial goals. It's math that is used by every person, everyday. Learners examine the responsibilities and costs involved in family economics. Through a series of...

While not everybody will end up married, everybody does need to know how to resolve conflict. Learners examine several real-life scenarios involving a married couple. They use problem-solving strategies to help the couple come to an...

Students focus on the use of modal verbs of probability and advice in the past tense while discussing and solving a difficult problem.