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Data Analysis and Probability

Automobile Mileage: Age vs. Mileage

9-12

In this lesson, students plot data about automobile mileage and interpret the meaning of the slope and y-intercept of the least squares regression line. By examining the graphical representation of the data, students analyze the meaning of the slope and y-intercept of the line and put those meanings in the context of the real-life application.

The activity is very similar to that in Lesson Five of this Unit Plan. However, by graphing the data in a different format, the students will produce a line with a positive slope in this activity, while the line in Lesson Five had a negative slope. Doing both lessons allows students to investigate how changing the independent variable affects the resulting graph and equation.

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Geometry

Trigonometry for Solving Problems

9-12
This lesson offers a pair of puzzles to enforce the skills of identifying equivalent trigonometric expressions. Additional worksheets enhance students' abilities to appreciate and use trigonometry as a tool in problem solving. This lesson is adapted from an article by Mally Moody, which appeared in the March 1992 edition of Mathematics Teacher.  
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Algebra

Rates and Taxes

9-12
This activity allows students to become familiar with percents and taxes. Students learn how to determine the amount of tax a family will pay based on a certain income. This lesson was adapted from an article by Warren W. Esty, which appeared in the May 1992 edition of Mathematics Teacher.
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Algebra

Modeling Orbital Debris Problems

9-12
In this lesson, students examine the problem of space pollution caused by human-made debris in orbit to develop an understanding of functions and modeling. It allows the students an opportunity to use spreadsheets, graphing calculators, and computer graphing utilities.
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Data Analysis and Probability

Can You Picture It?

3-5
This lesson builds on the experiences of the previous lesson. Students collect data about favorite vegetables and record the data in a pictograph and interpret this representation. They also create and use legends for the pictograph.
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Data Analysis and Probability

Tally Time

3-5
Students tally data about food preferences and learn the convention of displaying a set of five tallies. Students also answer pose and answer questions about the data.
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Data Analysis and Probability

Class Attributes

3-5
During this lesson, students create their own classroom survey or use previously generated questions to study the class and describe the set [class] in fractional parts. This lesson requires that students identify fractions in real-world contexts from a set of items that are not identical. This lesson is integrated with other areas of the math curriculum, including data analysis and statistics.
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Number and Operations

Another Look at the Set Model using Attribute Pieces

3-5
The previous lessons focused on the set model where all objects in the set are the same size and shape. Students also need work with sets in which the objects “look” different. In the real world, we are often faced with fraction situations where the objects in the set are not identical. For this lesson, students use fractions to describe a set of attribute pieces. Students develop skill in problem solving and reasoning as they think about their set and how to create new sets given specific fractional characteristics.
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Data Analysis and Probability

Shrinking Candles, Running Water, Folding Boxes

9-12
This activity allows students to look for functions within a given set of data. After analyzing the data, the student should be able to determine a type of function that represents the data. This lesson plan is adapted from an article by Jill Stevens that originally appeared in the September 1993 issue of the Mathematics Teacher.
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Data Analysis and Probability

Birthday Paradox

6-8, 9-12
This activity demonstrates the Birthday Paradox, using it as a springboard into a unit on probability. Students use a graphing calculator to run a Monte Carlo simulation with the birthday paradox and perform a graphical analysis of the birthday-problem function. This lesson was adapted from an article, written by Matthew Whitney, which appeared in the April 2001 edition of Mathematics Teacher.