9-12
In this lesson, students explore polynomials by solving puzzlers. To solve the puzzlers, students factor polynomials and multiply monomials and binomials. The lesson includes ideas on how this format can be applied to other mathematical concepts.
6-8
Students use equations to determine eBay profit on new technology. EBay is an online auction agency. For a limited time after a “new” product’s street release date, it is possible to track the profit that sellers make for auctioning them on eBay. Students use previous data of selling prices to derive a linear equation for the “closing bid price” on a product.
9-12
This lesson helps students clarify the relationship between the shape of a graph and the movement of an object. Students explore their own movement and plot it onto a displacement vs. time graph. From this original graph, students create a velocity vs. time graph, and from there create an acceleration vs. time graph. The movement present and how to interpret each type of graph is emphasized through the lesson, which serve as an excellent introduction to building blocks of calculus.
3-5, 6-8
The rules of Krypto are amazingly simple — combine five numbers using
the standard arithmetic operations to create a target number. Finding a
solution to one of the more than 3 million possible combinations can be
quite a challenge, but students love it. And you’ll love that the game
helps to develop number sense, computational skill, and an
understanding of the order of operations.
6-8
We are bombarded in the media with ads offering 0% interest or teaser rates of 2.9%. These ads are devised to entice us to sign up for these limited time offers that the companies tell us would be crazy to miss. The goal of these ads is to get us to use credit to buy on impulse. If we take the time to analyze the offer, we might realize that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. In this lesson, students will work through a credit card scenario with a teaser rate, minimum payments, fees, and rate increases for being late.
6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students purchase the common items used in their mathematics classroom such as desks, chairs, calculators, manipulatives, etc. They are given a budget that they must work within plus coupons that they must use when making their purchases. The lesson lets students have fun while applying the concepts of discount and percent. Since students use a purchase register to track their purchases, it also serves as a review of integer operations.
3-5, 6-8
Using data from the Internet, students summarize information about party affiliation and ages at inauguration of Presidents of the United States in frequency tables and graphs. This leads to a discussion about categorical data (party affiliations) vs. numerical data (inauguration ages) and histograms vs bar graphs.
3-5, 6-8
Students hear geometry terminology around them every day. By playing the games in this lesson, students use their knowledge regarding regular and irregular polygons to explore the properties of the shapes and learn new vocabulary when identifying characteristics of shapes.
9-12
In this lesson, students are introduced to basic graph theory and Euler circuits. They stitch paths and circuits to create their own graphs. Students also problem solve as they design a route that creates the same pattern on the front and back of a canvas.
9-12
In this lesson students use sidewalk chalk and rope to illustrate the locus definitions of ellipses and parabolas. Kinesthetics, teamwork, and problem solving are stressed as students take on the role of focus, directrix, and point on the conic, and figure out how to construct the shape.
