3-5
Using the pizza topping theme from the previous lesson, students explore the mathematical idea of combinations. Students also discuss whether or not order matters.
Pre-K-2
This lesson focuses on forming 3-digit house numbers to meet specific requirements. Careful reading of information and understanding of mathematical language are important to finding appropriate solutions. Using the problem-solving strategies of looking for patterns and establishing an organized list will aid students in finding all the possible solution sets.
Pre-K-2
In this lesson, students participate in activities in which they focus on the uses of numbers. The activities explore how students use numbers in school and every day settings as a way for students and the teacher to get to know each other at the beginning of the school year.
3-5
In this activity students collect height data and then construct a
box‑and‑whisker plot to display the results. The activity sheet
presents a sequence for setting up a box‑and‑whisker plot.
3-5
In this lesson, students explore how variations in solar collectors
affect the energy absorbed. They make rectangular prisms that have the
same volume but different linear dimensions. Students investigate
relationships among the linear dimensions, the area, and the volume of
rectangular prisms.
3-5
In these activities, students look at attributes that vary from coaster to coaster, attributes that make each scream machine uniquely thrilling. Students use a Web site to view photos of roller coasters from around the country. Based on the pictures, students predict which coaster is faster, which is higher, which goes farther, and which takes longer. They look up data on another Web site to check their predictions. Finally, students evaluate their estimates of speed, height, etc., to see whether their estimation skills improve with experience.
3-5
In this investigation, students use data analysis to seek answers to
the types of questions often posed by consumer agencies and people who
work in sales and marketing. This lesson was adapted from the article
"Consumer Investigations: What is the "Best" Chip?" by Dixie Methany,
which originally appeared in the March 2001 issue of
Teaching Children Mathematics.
3-5
In the following open-ended exploration, students estimate, experiment, and display real-life data. Students use the number of breaths taken during a specified time period as the context for this exploration.
6-8
This lesson is a collection of three activities, all of which revolve around patterns and place value in the binary system. Grades 5‑8 students are drawn into the mathematics by the "magical" ability to guess an unknown number and by the use of birthdays, something they find very relevant. This lesson plan is adapted from the September 1997 edition of
Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School.
6-8
Students develop their skills in collecting and recording data using the real-world situation of a bouncing tennis ball. They use the data collected to formulate the relationship between the dependent and independent variable in their experiment.
