6-8
In this year-long project, students design, "build," and "sell" a
house; after which they simulate investment of the profits in the stock
market. Along the way, students make scale drawings, compute with
fractions and decimals in various contexts, and even solve simple
equations. This lesson plan was adapted from an article by David B.
Smith, which appeared in the September 2000 edition of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8, 9-12
This grades 7-12 activity allows students to look for patterns within the given data. After looking at the pattern, the student should be able to form generalizations for the problem. Furthermore, this activity sharpens the algebraic skills of the students. The problem sharpens visualization skills.
6-8, 9-12
Students model linear data in a variety of settings that range from car repair costs to sports to medicine. Students work to construct scatterplots, interpret data points and trends, and investigate the notion of line of best fit.
6-8
The paper pool game provides an opportunity for students to develop their understanding of ratio, proportion, greatest common divisor, and least common multiple.
6-8
This activity uses a series of related arithmetic experiences to prompt
students to generalize into more abstract ideas. In particular,
students explore arithmetic statements leading to a result that is the
factoring pattern for the difference of two squares. A geometric
interpretation of the familiar formula is also included. This lesson
plan was adapted from an article by David Slavit, which appeared in the
February 2001 edition of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8
Students typically learn about the concepts of identity, inverse,
commutativity, and associativity by exploring the four basic operations
(+, –, ×, and ÷) with integers. In this lesson, students investigate
these concepts using a geometric model. Moves are performed with a
rectangle, and the results of an operation that combines two moves are
analyzed. Students determine if the operation is commutative or
associative; if an identity element exists; or if there are inverses
for any of the moves.
6-8
Using a scheme similar to the one in the Rectangle
lesson of this unit, students will further explore the concepts of
identity, inverse, and commutative and associative properties. Students
investigate and analyze moves performed with a plus sign, and an online
activity is available to help students with this investigation.
6-8
In this lesson, students will compare the price of a toll to the distance traveled. Students will investigate data numerically and graphically to determine the per-mile charge, and they will predict the cost if a new tollbooth were added along the route.
6-8
Students will measure the length and width of a rectangle using both standard and non-standard units of measure. In addition to providing measurement practice, this lesson allows students to discover that the ratio of length to width of a rectangle is constant, in spite of the units. For many middle school students, this discovery is surprising.
6-8
In the following lessons of this unit, students will have an opportunity to fully explore the patterns that result from the Paper Pool game. In this lesson, however, students will only spend time learning the rules, playing the game, and collecting data.
