An excellent activity that effectively pulls together the concepts of area, fractions, and equivalent fractions! Using 3x2 rectangular arrays, 3rd graders are introduced to the concept of area in terms of square units. Building on this...

Learners rewrite a general quadratic function by completing the square to see a new form of the function that more easily identifies the x-coordinate of the vertex and the two roots of the function.

Learners review how to use the completing-the-square method to identify maximum and minimum values of a quadratic function by watching a video. They see how the vertex form relates to the extreme values of a quadratic function, and use...

Is it crazy to fall in love with your own work, or is that the purest love of all? Compare two renditions of the classic Greek myth Pygmalion and Galatea with a literary analysis exercise. After students compare the similarities and...

Round and round and round we go. Given a diagram of three circles, two of which share a point with the third circle, learners identify the radius of each circle. Doing so requires setting up and solving a system of equations based on the...

Don't run from the resource—sprint to it. Using an engaging performance task, scholars consider a set of constraints on the creation of a track. Given several possible designs, they determine if the designs meet the constraints. If not,...

Transform your lesson for transforming functions. Scholars transform linear, quadratic, exponential, rational, and trigonometric expressions. They write their expressions to fit specific forms and identify the values of the resulting...

Grab the wheel in learning about functions. A short performance task challenges young mathematicians to develop a function that describes the cars eight people drive. They consider whether the inverse of the function exists. If not, they...

Let the resource quench your thirst for knowledge, like a vending machine that dispenses drinks. Future computer scientists develop an algorithm to identify the fewest number of coins that a vending machine could use in creating change....

Coding works for other fields. The free-response questions for AP Computer science require pupils to develop code to solve a problem. Problems range from creating a histogram to developing an encryption program. Teachers use the...

Here is a comprehensive method for assessing chemistry learners' knowledge; have them approach two laboratory problems, plan their methods of solving each, and then actually carry out the experiments to find the answers. Both the...

Pupils try to get a collar on temperature with a short assessment item that asks them to compare two different methods in converting Celsius to Fahrenheit. Individuals try to find out when an estimation provides conversions that are...

Long before the term fake news, media outlets offered competing narratives of events at the time. Looking at newspaper reports from the Battle of Vicksburg, class members consider two different versions of the strategic siege—one...

So a cylinder does not have to look like a can? By expanding upon the precise definition of a rectangular prism, the instructional activity develops the definition of a general cylinder. Scholars continue on to develop a...

Trying to get your class to think of decimals as fractions and vice versa can lead to interesting discussions. After all, we can usually understand quickly that 1/4 is .25 but why is 1/7 not so easy to convert? This activity looks...

Do big bodies make big brains? Let your learners decide whether there is an association between body weight and brain weight by putting the data from different animals into a scatterplot. They can remove any outliers and then make a line...

Comparing the movement of graphs geometrically when small changes are made to the parent function motivates this collaborative discussion on the transformations of functions to their various forms. Vertical and horizontal shifts due to...

Your learners analyze the familiar model of a cold beverage warming when it is taken out of the refrigerator. The general form of the equation and its graph are presented. Learners learn about the specific pieces of the function by...

Mathematics can model just about anything—so why not simulate the height of water in a toilet bowl? The lesson asks pupils to create a graphical model to describe the relationship of the height of the water as it empties and fills again....

Creating a definition may be easier than it sounds! Give your classes experience creating their own definition. Scholars examine the meaning of the compact-ness of a scatter plot and create their own definitions based on measurements. 

What is the connection between equivalent ratios? Class members first find the multiplication factor used to create equivalent ratios. Next, they take that information to determine whether ratios are equivalent. The second lesson on...

Build tables by understanding their structure. Scholars take a closer look at the structure of ratio tables in the 10th segment in a 29-part series. Individuals realize that the tables can be built using an additive or...

Develop the right station to solve rate word problems. The 18th lesson in a series of 29 starts by interpreting the aspects of rates with two different quantities. Pupils use the interpretation of rates to solve problems, and groups work...

How do you convert from one measurement to another? Pupils use unit rates to convert measurements from one unit to another in the 21st segment in a 29-part series. They convert within the same system to solve length, capacity,...