6-8
Students will estimate the areas of highly irregular shapes and will use a process of decomposition to calculate the areas of irregular polygons.
6-8
Students will measure the dimensions of a common object, multiply each dimension by a scale factor, and examine a model using the multiplied dimensions. Students will then compare the surface area and volume of the original object and the enlarged model.
6-8
Using a MIRA
TM geometry tool, students determine the relationships between radius, diameter, circumference and area of a circle.
6-8
Students explore the relationship between the lengths of the sides and diagonals of a square. Students will use their discoveries to predict the diagonal length of any square.
6-8
This lesson allows students to use a variety of units when measuring
the side length and perimeter of squares and the diameter and
circumference of circles. From these measurements, students will
discover the constant ratio of 1:4 for all squares and the ratio of
approximately 1:3.14 for all circles.
3-5, 6-8
The
Stomachion is an ancient tangram-type puzzle. Believed by
some to have been created by Archimedes, it consists of 14 pieces cut
from a square. The pieces can be rearranged to form other interesting
shapes. In this lesson, students learn about the history of the
Stomachion, use the pieces to create other figures, learn about symmetry and transformations, and investigate the areas of the pieces.
6-8
In this lesson, students use information from NBA statistics to make and compare box and whisker plots. The data provided in the lesson come from the NBA, but you could apply the lesson to data from the WNBA or any other sports teams or leagues for which player statistics are available.
6-8
This lesson gives students the opportunity to explore surface area in the same way that a contractor might when providing an estimate to a potential customer. Once the customer accepts the estimate, a more detailed measurement is taken and a quote prepared. In this lesson, students use estimation to determine the surface area of the walls and floor of their classroom. They check the reasonableness of their estimates, and then measure the classroom for accuracy.
6-8
In this lesson, students will design a playground using manipulatives and multiple representations. Maximum area with a given perimeter will be explored using tickets. The playground will include equipment with given dimensions, which decreases the maximum area that can be created. This is an interesting demonstration of how a real-world context can change a purely mathematical result. Finally, scale models will be created on graph paper and a presentation will be made to a playground planning committee for approval.
6-8
Students will use a clinometer (a measuring device built from a protractor) and isosceles right triangles to find the height of a building. The class will compare measurements, talk about the variation in their results, and select the best measure of central tendency to report the most accurate height.
