Collecting The Rays

In this lesson, students explore how variations in solar collectors affect the energy absorbed. They make rectangular prisms that have the same volume but different linear dimensions. Students investigate relationships among the linear dimensions, the area, and the volume of rectangular prisms.

Competing Coasters

In these activities, students look at attributes that vary from coaster to coaster, attributes that make each scream machine uniquely thrilling. Students use a Web site to view photos of roller coasters from around the country. Based on the pictures, students predict which coaster is faster, which is higher, which goes farther, and which takes longer. They look up data on another Web site to check their predictions. Finally, students evaluate their estimates of speed, height, etc., to see whether their estimation skills improve with experience.

What Is the Best Chip?

In this investigation, students use data analysis to seek answers to the types of questions often posed by consumer agencies and people who work in sales and marketing. This lesson was adapted from the article "Consumer Investigations: What is the "Best" Chip?" by Dixie Methany, which originally appeared in the March 2001 issue of Teaching Children Mathematics.

Every Breath You Take

In the following open-ended exploration, students estimate, experiment, and display real-life data. Students use the number of breaths taken during a specified time period as the context for this exploration.

Parking at the Mall

Students participate in an activity in which they develop number sense in and around the shopping mall. They develop their skills in determining percents and estimating area.

What Comes Nex_?

The following activities deal with patterns and the importance of looking at data from more than a single perspective. Included are explorations designed to encourage open-mindedness and to help students develop alternative viewpoints. Students investigate a series of items that appear to be ordered in some "obvious" ways. Students also explore ways of sorting items into two disjoint groups on the basis of some definable characteristic. This lesson was adapted from "What Comes Nex_?", written by William R. Speer & Daniel J. Brahier. It appeared in the October, 1995 Teaching Children Mathematics Vol. 2, no. 2.

Water, Water

Students compare the amount of water they use in daily life with the amount allotted for each person each day on a Space Shuttle. Within this context, students estimate and measure the weight of, and amount of space occupied by, a gallon of water. They collect, organize, graph, analyze, and interpret data from their investigations. The activities in this lesson are designed to span 2‑3 class periods.

Single Runner

In this activity, students use a software simulation of one runner along a track. Students control the speed and starting point of the runner, watch the race, examine a graph, and analyze the time-versus-distance relationship. This activity helps students understand, describe, and compare situations involving constant rates of change.