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
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 lesson presents two classic problems (
Mangoes Problem and
Sailors and Coconuts)
that can be represented and solved in several different ways.
Middle-grades students work in groups on the problems to promote
communication of mathematical ideas, and a variety of classroom
solution attempts are described. This lesson plan was adapted from an
article, written by Jerry Stonewater, which appeared in the
November‑December 1994 issue of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8
Students investigate properties of perimeter, area, and volume related
to various geometric two- and three-dimensions shapes. They conjecture,
test, discuss, verbalize, and generalize patterns. Through this process
they
discover the salient features of the
pattern,
construct understandings of concepts and relationships, develop
a language to talk about the pattern,
integrate, and
discriminate
between the pattern and other patterns. When relationships between quantities in
a pattern are studied, knowledge about important mathematical relationships and
functions emerges.
6-8
Students explore the relationships among lines, slopes, and
y-intercepts
in the context of printing their algebra textbooks. Students use a
spreadsheet to facilitate their exploration. This activity is based on
an idea from
Navigating Through
Algebra in Grades 6-8 (NCTM, 2001).
6-8
Students use Venn diagrams to represent the relationships between the factors or products of two numbers.
6-8
Students make connections and expand on what they have learned in the first three lessons. Students explain the effects of different moves on the game board. Finally, students "Guess My Number" using various clues.
