3-5, 6-8
If a tree could talk, we could ask it how old it is. Here is a mathematical way to estimate the age of your schoolyard trees. Students will measure circumference of trees in order to find diameter and calculate age of local trees using a growth rate table.
6-8
In this lesson,
students learn the definition of like terms and gain practice in identifying
key features to sort and combine them. Most middle school students are adept at
recognizing the nuances of dress and manner that identify groups and cliques
among their peers. This lesson applies the observation and sorting skills that
students already possess to the important task of identifying and combining
like terms. Students will play the game Ker-Splash and derive rules for working
with like terms.
3-5, 6-8
Studying the behavior and motion of dinosaurs is obviously a
challenge since these creatures are extinct. If researchers wish to examine the
running velocity of a dinosaur, they must instead consider other evidence of
dinosaur motion and make an indirect estimate. In this lesson, students will
play the role of researchers who field test the Alexander Formula—a formula that uses paleontology data to estimate dinosaur running
velocities. Students will serve as human analogues, making measurements on
themselves, computing predicted running velocities using the Alexander Formula,
and calculating their actual running velocities. They will then evaluate the
accuracy of the formula by comparing estimated and actual running velocities
for the class.
6-8
The lesson is based upon Aesop’s fable,
“The Crow and the Pitcher,” and involves students making predictions and conducting
experiments to determine how many pebbles the crow would need to add to the
pitcher in order to bring the water to drinking height. In the course of the
investigation, students gain a real-world understanding of linear functions and
such concepts as slope,
y-intercept,
domain, and range.
6-8
In this lesson, students will play card
and computer games by adding fractions to make 1. Students will determine how
the fractions are related, by first determining what they have and then how
much more is needed. Through different interactive games, students will utilize their skills and build upon them to expand their
understanding of fractions. Students will be able to determine common
denominators and other strategies to add fractions with like and unlike
denominators.
3-5, 6-8
In this lesson, students use their previous knowledge of
multiplication to identify factors and form products. Students will use Illuminations’
Times Table to identify various patterns in a multiplication table. They will then
play the Multiple Factors Game and Times Square to reinforce their
understanding of factors and multiples.
6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students will explore reflections,
translations and rotations. Students participate in a modeling activity where
they will learn the rules for translations and reflections. Then students
will practice using these transformations, as well as explore the rules for
rotations, in the game
Flip-n-Slide on Calculation Nation®.
6-8
This lesson
integrates finding probability and strategic play in the Calculation Nation
®
game, Prime Time. Students will work in groups to determine the best
movement option, rolling a die, spinning a spinner or flipping a coin, for
their first move of the game. Students will calculate the probability of events
and use that information as well as logic and reasoning to defend their choice
for the best movement option for their first turn in Prime Time.
3-5, 6-8
Students discover the
relationships between area and perimeter as they prep for playing Square Off, a
wonderful Calculation Nation
®
game. This lesson helps students understand the math of area and perimeter, which
will help to maximize their scores when playing the game. Creating human-sized
rectangles and working with geoboards provide concrete experiences before
moving on to pictorial and abstract work with area and perimeter of rectangles.
6-8
The
shortest distance between two points is a line. But what is the shortest time
to travel between two points on different terrains? In this lesson, students
will predict, estimate and then calculate the path that results in the fastest
time to travel between two points when different terrains affect the fastest
path. This lesson is designed as an introduction to the Calculation Nation
® game
DiRT Dash and prepares students to apply mathematics to improve their
performance in the game.
