This lesson from Illuminations helps students to begin to develop an understanding of area by using a Java applet on the computer. Learners use 12" × 12" paper squares to measure the area of a door and determine whether area increases or decreases as the length or width of their door changes. The lesson includes discussion questions, extensions, and other teacher support. It is supported by the applet IGD: Areas in Geometry (cataloged separately).

This task assesses students' abilities to make and record measurements of temperature and probes their understanding of the concept of insulation.

NUTSHELL In this highly interactive lesson, students explore the tools used by foresters to measure tree diameter and height, then calculate the number of board feet in a tree and the number of products that can be made from that tree. Afterwards, students go on a scavenger hunt to explore many ways that forests are valuable.
OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this lesson, students will be able to:
Determine the number of board feet in a tree.Identify social, economic, and environmental values of trees.
SUBJECT AREAS Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
LESSON/ACTIVITY TIME
Total Lesson Time: 150 minutes (not including optional add-on lesson)Time Breakdown: Pre-activity--60 minutes; Introduction--10 minutes; Activity 1--40 minutes; Activity 2--30 minutes; Conclusion--10 minutes (Optional classroom lesson "We All Need Trees--90 minutes)
TEACHING SITE: A wooded area with trees at least 10 inches in diameter. Ideal species include maple, oak, aspen, birch, and pine.

Students learn about trigonometry, geometry and measurements while participating in a hands-on interaction with LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT technology. First they review fundamental geometrical and trigonometric concepts. Then, they estimate the height of various objects by using simple trigonometry. Students measure the height of the objects using the LEGO robot kit, giving them an opportunity to see how sensors and technology can be used to measure things on a larger scale. Students discover that they can use this method to estimate the height of buildings, trees or other tall objects. Finally, students synthesize their knowledge by applying it to solve similar problems. By activity end, students have a better grasp of trigonometry and its everyday applications.

This is a virtual lab of photosynthesis that can be used for elementary through high school levels. The pdfattachment is intended for a late elementary audience but can be modified for olders students. The independent variable is light color and type of plant. There is a chart and video and journal that students can use on line. The video gives some background on the fact that white light is made up of many different colors of light. There is a ruler that can be dragged to measure the height of each plant.