6-8
This lesson is a collection of three activities, all of which revolve around patterns and place value in the binary system. Grades 5‑8 students are drawn into the mathematics by the "magical" ability to guess an unknown number and by the use of birthdays, something they find very relevant. This lesson plan is adapted from the September 1997 edition of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8
Students develop their skills in collecting and recording data using the real-world situation of a bouncing tennis ball. They use the data collected to formulate the relationship between the dependent and independent variable in their experiment.
6-8
In this lesson, students transition from arithmetic to algebraic thinking by exploring problems that are not limited to single-solution responses. Values organized into tables and graphs are used to move toward symbolic representations. Problem situations involving linear, quadratic, and exponential models are employed. This lesson is based upon the article "Building Bridges to Algebraic Thinking" by Roger Day, which appeared in the February 1997 edition of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8
In this lesson, students use a 10 × 10 grid as a model for solving
various types of percent problems. This model offers a means of
representing the given information as well as suggesting different
approaches for finding a solution. This lesson is adapted from "A
Conceptual Model for Solving Percent Problems," which originally
appeared in
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, Vol. 1, No. 1 (April 1994), pp. 20-25.
6-8
The Factor Game engages students in a friendly contest in which
winning strategies involve distinguishing between numbers with many
factors and numbers with few factors. Students are then guided through
an analysis of game strategies and introduced to the definitions of
prime and
composite numbers.
6-8
This lesson sets the stage for a discussion of travel in the solar system. By considering a real-world, hands-on activity, students develop their understanding of time and distance. Finally, students plot the data they have collected.
6-8
The following grades 6-8 activities allow students to explore
statistics surrounding baseball. They are exposed to connections
between various mathematical concepts and see where this mathematics is
used in areas with which they are familiar. This lesson plan is adapted
from the May 1996 edition of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8
This Internet Mathematics Excursion is a pre-activity for E-example 6.3
from the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. This is
the first in a sequence of four lessons designed for students to
understand ratio, proportion, scale factor, and similarity. This lesson
invites students to manipulate two rectangles to create examples of
similarity and to study the effects on area ratios. Students sketch
similar figures, verify proportionality, and apply these concepts to
structures in their world.
6-8
This Internet Mathematics Excursion is based on E-example 6.3
from the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. This is
the second in a sequence of four lessons designed for students to
understand ratio, proportion, scale factor, and similarity using
perimeter and area of various rectangular shapes. Students manipulate
2-dimensional rectangles to focus on the relationship between the scale
factor and ratio of perimeters of similar rectangles, and the
relationship between scale factor and ratio of areas of similar
rectangles.
6-8
This Internet Mathematics Excursion is based on E-example 6.3.2
from the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. This is
the last activity in a sequence of four lessons designed for students
to understand scale factor and surface area of various rectangular
prisms. Students manipulate the scale factor that links two
three-dimensional rectangular prisms to learn about edge lengths and
surface area relationships.