3-5
In this lesson students create rectangular arrays to
represent sizes of chocolate boxes. They find all of the factors of each number
up to 36 and learn the difference between prime and composite numbers. Then
they play an online game to practice finding factors for each product up to 36.
3-5, 6-8
Students discover the
relationships between area and perimeter as they prep for playing Square Off, a
wonderful Calculation Nation
®
game. This lesson helps students understand the math of area and perimeter, which
will help to maximize their scores when playing the game. Creating human-sized
rectangles and working with geoboards provide concrete experiences before
moving on to pictorial and abstract work with area and perimeter of rectangles.
6-8
The
shortest distance between two points is a line. But what is the shortest time
to travel between two points on different terrains? In this lesson, students
will predict, estimate and then calculate the path that results in the fastest
time to travel between two points when different terrains affect the fastest
path. This lesson is designed as an introduction to the Calculation Nation
® game
DiRT Dash and prepares students to apply mathematics to improve their
performance in the game.
6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students will develop an understanding of the Fibonacci Sequence (and its connection to Golden Rectangles), Golden Ratio, Golden Rectangle, and the term
ratio (as it applies to rectangles). Students will use tools and construction techniques to demonstrate geometry prowess and be able to observe the Golden Rectangle in nature and in the classroom.
6-8
This lesson explores the
concept
of slope through a student-centered problem of data collection and evaluation.
Students guess which of several flights of stairs is steepest, and then use
measures of slope to test their hypothesis.
6-8
Photographs, blueprints, models, and computer renderings may
serve as virtual representations of real cities. But how accurately do they
represent their real counterparts? In this lesson, students examine a computer
representation of a city and compare the sizes of its features with the sizes
of analogous features in a real city.
6-8
Students use their class schedules to create
time-distance graphs by counting the number of walking strides they take from
their lockers and timing themselves as they walk through their class schedules.
They will use their graphs to answer questions about slope,
x- and
y-intercepts, and the meaning of horizontal and vertical lines.
6-8, 9-12
This lesson is based upon a story from Virgil's
Aeneid. Students work in groups to
investigate maximizing area with a fixed length of rope. They investigate which
figure results in the greatest area by real-life experimentation as well
algebraically. Students gain an understanding of quadratic functions, the
isoperimetric principle, and parabolas.
6-8
In Parts I and II of this investigation, students learn about the notion of equivalence in concrete and numerical settings. As students begin to use symbolic representations they use variables as place holders or unknowns. This part of the i-Math investigation illustrates the continued transition from the concrete balance view of equivalence to a more abstract view.
3-5, 6-8
Using inversions — words that can be read in more than one way — as the context, students will be introduced to various types of symmetry. After exploring the symmetries that exist with letters of the alphabet, they will make inversions of their own name.
