6-8
Using a balance in the classroom is a first step to algebraic understanding. Use this pan balance (numbers) applet to practice the order of operations in simplifying numerical expressions and to demonstrate the conventions of using algebraic logic in simplifying expressions.
6-8, 9-12
The consideration of cord length is very important in a bungee jump—too short, and the jumper doesn’t get much of a thrill; too long, and
ouch! In this lesson, students model a bungee jump using a Barbie
® doll and rubber bands. The distance to which the doll will fall is directly proportional to the number of rubber bands, so this context is used to examine linear functions.
6-8
Students explore the Fibonacci sequence, examine how the ratio of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers creates the Golden Ratio, and identify real-life examples of the Golden Ratio.
6-8
A real-life example—taken from a bagel shop, of all places—is used to get students to think about solving a problem symbolically. Students must decipher a series of equations and interpret results to understand the point that the bagel shop’s owner is trying to make.
6-8, 9-12
Students will be introduced to modular arithmetic by first examining a five-hour analog clock and its mathematical properties. Then students will investigate patterns and relationships that exist in 12-hour addition and multiplication clock tables.
6-8, 9-12
When one end of a wooden board is placed on a bathroom scale and the
other end is suspended on a textbook, students can "walk the plank" and
record the weight measurement as their distance from the scale changes.
The results are unexpected— the relationship between the weight and
distance is linear, and all lines have the same
x‑intercept. This investigation leads to a real world occurrence of negative slope, examples of which are often hard to find.
6-8
In this lesson, students take on the role of a villager in a
third-world country trying to feed her village. While listening to you
read aloud the book
One Grain of Rice by Demi, students work
collaboratively to come up with a bargaining plan to trick the raja
into feeding the village using algebra, exponential growth, and
estimation.
6-8
In 1999 the world population passed the 6 billion mark. In this lesson, students predict when it will reach 7 billion. Students discuss the reliability of their predictions, compare them to past trends, and discuss social factors that can affect population growth.
6-8, 9-12
This lesson offers students a method for finding the slope of a line from its graph. The skills from this lesson can be applied as a tool to real-world examples of rate of change and slope.
6-8
In this lesson, students use Cuisenaire Rods to build trains of different lengths and investigate patterns. Students make algebraic connections by writing rules and representing data in tables and graphs.
