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Data Analysis and Probability

Pigging Out

3-5
This lesson uses the story of The Three Little Pigs to motivate students to think and reason mathematically in a number of ways. Students develop reasoning skills and identify similarities and differences through the use of Venn Diagram. Spatial reasoning is also emphasized in this lesson.
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Data Analysis and Probability

Rescue Mission Game

3-5

Students play a game to learn about the four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust, and weight. Before playing the game, students conduct a probability experiment with spinners and record their results in tally tables and bar graphs. They then use their findings to select spinners with the greatest probability of helping them win the game. In a portion of the game, students use ordered pairs to plot points on the coordinate plane to show their flight path.

This lesson was adapted from Travel in the Solar System in Mission Mathematics II: Grades 3‑5, a NASA/NCTM project, NCTM 1997.

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Geometry

Parts of a Square

3-5
Students investigate the ways shapes can be divided into equal pieces with one or two cuts. The lesson provides a review of the following vocabulary terms: square, triangle, and rectangle; congruent, one-half, and one-fourth. The other lessons in this unit build on this introductory lesson.
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Geometry

Describing Designs

3-5
Students create designs and describe them to a classmate, using fractional and geometric terms. This lesson provides a context for using the following vocabulary terms: horizontal, vertical, square, rectangle, triangle, diagonal, one-half, and one-fourth.
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Geometry

Exploring Flips and Slides

3-5
This lesson builds on the previous two lessons and encourages students to explore the geometric transformations of reflections and translations. Students create a design. Then, using flips and slides, students make a four-part paper "mini-quilt." While the formal terms are reflection and translation, the more informal terms slide and flip are used at this stage. The experience focuses students’ attention on the changes these geometric transformations make in a student-designed quilt square.
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Geometry

Exploring Turns

3-5
This lesson encourages students to explore the geometric transformation of rotation. Students create a design then, using turns, make a four‑part paper "mini-quilt" with that design as the basis. While the formal term is rotation, the more informal turn is used at this grade band. The experience focuses students’ attention on the changes the geometric transformations make in a student-designed quilt square.
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Geometry

Analyzing Designs

3-5
This lesson encourages students to explore the geometric transformation of rotation, reflection and translation more fully. Students create a design then, using flips, turns, and slides, make a 4-part paper "mini-quilt" square with that design as the basis. This experience focuses students’ attention on both the changes produced by the geometric transformations and on line symmetry.
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Geometry

Planning and Making a Mini-Quilt

3-5
Students create a quilt using the three transformations and investigate the ways shapes can be colored to show one-half and one-fourth. They locate lines of symmetry and create a set of directions for making their quilt block.
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Geometry

Rectangles and Parallelograms

3-5
Students use dynamic software to examine the properties of rectangles and parallelograms, and identify what distinguishes a rectangle from a more general parallelogram. Using spatial relationships, they will examine the properties of two-and three-dimensional shapes. This Internet Mathematics Excursion is based on an E-example from the NCTM Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
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Geometry

Study the Solids

3-5
In this interactive geometry investigation, students explore geometric solids and their properties. Specifically, students count the number of faces, edges, and corners (vertices) in various solids.