This unit from Illuminations consists of five lessons designed to help students understand fractions when they are represented as a part of a region. Learners investigate relationships between parts and wholes, the relative value of the fraction based on the pattern block shape and equivalency while working with physical and/or virtual pattern blocks. Instructional plan, questions for the students, assessment options, extensions, and teacher reflections are given for each lesson.

This tool allows you to learn about various geometric solids and their properties. You can manipulate each solid, seeing it from every angle. You can also color each shape to explore the number of faces, edges, and vertices. With that information, you are challenged to investigate the following question: For any polyhedron, what is the relationship between the number of faces, vertices, and edges?

This interactive lesson encourages young students to solve problems by estimating angles and distances. They use an applet to give LOGO-like commands, e.g. forward (length), turn (right or left) to make a path that moves a turtle to a pond. Students can create a Path 1 and Path 2 and try to minimize the total path length. There is a newer applet (Turtle Pond, cataloged separately) that allows for adding or editing the commands and a choice of right angles only, or angles in multiples of 15 degrees. The lesson provides suggestions for implementation and discussion questions.

This google slide show organizes "Would You Rather?" questions in a sequence by weeks. This series is recommended for third graders in the third quarter. Teachers can use these with students to promote number sense and precise mathematical vocabulary. Students will construct viable arguments and discuss their choices mathematically.

In this math lesson, learners read the book "How Big Is a Foot?" by Rolf Myller to explore the need for a standard unit of measure. Students then create non-standard units (using their own footprints) and use the footprints to make "beds." This lesson guide includes a student activity sheet, questions for learners, assessment options, extensions, and reflection questions.

In this lesson, students use historical nonstandard units (digits, hand, cubit, yard, foot, pace, fathom) to estimate the lengths of common objects and then measure using modern standard units. They will discover the usefulness of standardized measurement units and tools. An activity sheet (pdf), assessment options and other commentary are provided.

This 2-lesson unit focuses on combinations, a subject related to probability. Students develop strategies for discovering all the possible combinations in two given situations. They learn to collect and organize data and then use the results to generalize methods for determining possible combinations. They discuss how the number of possible outcomes is affected by decisions about the order of choices, or whether choices may be repeated. The unit includes student activity sheets, questions and extensions for students, and a link to an interactive applet.

The applets in this Interactive Geometry Dictionary (IGD) will allow students an opportunity to explore finding the area of some common shapes. The applets demonstrate how to find the area of a triangle using the area of a parallelogram, which in turn can be found using the area of a rectangle. This tool also supports the lesson "What's My Area" cataloged separately.

This Java interactive tool can be used to create dynamic drawings on an isometric dot grid, and to explore volume, surface area, and congruence concepts. Users can draw figures using edges, faces, or cubes and can shift, rotate, color, decompose, and view figures in 2‑D or 3‑D with this applet. Instructions on using and exploring with the tool are included on the page. A related multi-lesson unit from Illuminations for middle school students is linked to the side.

This lesson plan combines physical activity (jumping jacks) with data collection. The purpose of this activity is to compare and contrast the use of mean, median, and mode as the best measure of central tendency. The lesson plan includes three worksheets, extension questions, and assessment options.

In this lesson for grades 1 and 2, students record observations and look for patterns while exploring weights on a balance scale. They balance equal and unequal weights and record their distances from the fulcrum. Students use a crayon (as the fulcrum) and a ruler to represent the balance. A printable record keeping sheet is provided.

KenKen is a puzzle game that helps students develop whole number calculation skills, logical thinking and perseverance. Users complete the interactive grid with the digits 1-4 (or 1-6) so that each digit appears exactly once in each row or column, while also forming a target number using a specific operation. This page provides four new KenKen puzzles daily with a range of difficulty. Each puzzle includes instructions, rules, and a print option.

The activities in this four-lesson unit enable students to use their knowledge of number, measurement, and geometry to solve interesting problems. Planning and visualizing, estimating and measuring, and testing and revising are components of the ladybug activities. Students design "virtual paths" that enable a ladybug to either hide under a leaf or go through a maze. They develop navigational skills by testing their path and revising it. Two interactive Java applets (Ladybug Mazes and Hiding Ladybug, cataloged separately) support student solutions.

This lesson and its accompanying seven-minute video introduce students to a professional fact-checker, who describes the methods and processes he employs to verify information that appears in news stories. The video explains which claims can be fact-checked, and why some sources are more reliable than others. How do fact-checkers engage in analysis of contemporary and historical claims? How do we distinguish between “bad facts” and “bad narratives” when critiquing media sources? Examine the tools that fact-checkers use to identify and interrogate claims, and put those skills into practice.

In this lesson for grades 3, 4 and 5, students participate in activities in which they focus on patterns and relations that can be developed from the exploration of balance, mass, length of the mass arm, and the position of the fulcrum. The focus of this lesson is determining the position necessary to balance uneven objects and the effect on balance of moving the fulcrum. Printable activity sheets, ideas for implementation and extension are included.

In this three-lesson unit, students participate in activities in which they focus on connections between mathematics and children’s literature. Three pieces of literature are used to teach geometry and measurement topics in the mathematics curriculum, i.e. using and describing geometric figures, estimating the volume of an irregular solid, and exploring the need for a standard unit of length. Activity worksheets and ideas for extension are included.

This Illuminations brainteaser activity promotes algebraic thinking and reasoning skills. Each letter of the alphabet has been assigned a numerical value. Solvers use given sums of the letter values of 29 names to deduce the individual values. Solvers are asked to find the value of their own names and may use an interactive applet to test their solutions.

In this Illuminations unit (three lessons), students formulate and refine questions that can be addressed by categorical data (Lesson 1) and numerical data (Lesson 2). They then collect, organize, and display with bar and circle graphs relevant data to answer those questions. They recognize the differences in analyzing categorical and numerical data. In the final lesson students identify examples of each type of data by looking at the question asked and discover the type of data collected determines the type of data display that is the most appropriate way of representing it. Students work with partners to collect data and create graphs for both types of data using the Data Grapher (cataloged separately).

This interactive pan balance allows students to enter numeric or algebraic expressions and investigate the important concept of equivalence as well as practice arithmetic and algebraic skills. Users place an expression in each of the red and blue pans. These expressions may or may not include the variable x. If the expression is algebraic, a value for x is entered or adjusted by moving the slider. As the value of x changes, the results will be weighed and graphed. Instructions and exploration directions and questions are included.

This Java tool is used to strengthen student understanding of equality and computation of numerical expressions. The applet also helps students understand that equality is a relationship, not an operation. After entering an expression in both the red and blue pan, the pans will move up and down depending on which expression is greater. When the expressions are equivalent, the pans will balance and the full equation will be entered into the Balanced Equations table. Instructions and exploration directions and questions are included.