Shrinking Candles, Running Water, Folding Boxes

This activity allows students to look for functions within a given set of data. After analyzing the data, the student should be able to determine a type of function that represents the data. This lesson plan is adapted from an article by Jill Stevens that originally appeared in the September 1993 issue of the Mathematics Teacher.

Orbiting Satellites

In this lesson students explore the concept of orbits, focusing on altitude, velocity, and distance traveled. The lesson explores the connection of Earth-orbiting satellites to the study of the environment. Both geometric and algebraic concepts are presented to students in this application of science and mathematics to a real-world situation.

Collecting The Rays

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.

Heartifacts

This lesson emphasizes the connections between science and mathematics by using a performance, or authentic, assessment format. Students explore applications involving their own heart. This activity involves students in interpreting factual information in a variety of problem-solving situations. Students also create and solve an original problem.

How Big is Your Heart?

This lesson emphasizes the connections between science and mathematics by using a performance, or authentic, assessment format. Students have the opportunity to explore applications involving their own heart. This lesson was adapted from the article, "Ideas: The Beat of Your Heart," by  Lisa M. Passarello and Francis (Skip) Fennell, which appeared in The Arithmetic Teacher Vol.39, No.6 (February, 1992) pp. 32-39.

Magic Squares

This lesson explores magic squares from both a historical and mathematical perspective. The mathematical analysis leads into symbolic algebraic representation of the patterns. This lesson is based upon an article from the April 2001 edition of Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School. 

The Eyes Have It

Students collect data about the eye color of class members. They create bar graphs with several classifications of data. They pose and answer questions about the data by looking at the graph, and they find the range and mode.

Bar Graph Investigations

During this lesson, the students apply what they know about comparison subtraction by constructing bar graphs and using them to answer questions. They conduct a survey to gather data and then complete a bar graph. They also use the data to generate a bar graph using technology.

Sorting Foods

Students sort foods using the categories of the Food Pyramid. They also create sets up to 10 and write numerals up to 10. Finally, students use an Internet-based tool to apply their knowledge of the Food Pyramid. This lesson makes a natural connection to the science of nutrition.