In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, MIT engineer Dava Newman is working to replace today's bulky, inflated space suits with a radical, sleek design that may one day allow astronauts to walk easily on Mars.

In this activity, students use Google Earth and information from several websites to investigate some of the consequences of climate change in polar regions, including the shrinking of the ice cap at the North Pole, disintegration of ice shelves, melting of Greenland, opening of shipping routes, effects on polar bears, and possible secondary effects on climate in other regions due to changes in ocean currents. Students learn to use satellite and aerial imagery, maps, graphs, and statistics to interpret trends accompanying changes in the Earth system.

In this six lesson unit, students recognize and explore the relationships among pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. They estimate and count sets of mixed coins, create equivalent sets, write story problems that involve money, and use coins to make patterns. Within the unit there is a link to US Mint. http://www.usmint.gov/kids/teachers/

In this series of activities, students observe and sketch the environment outside their school using their senses. Students create a classroom book using one of their sketches.

Learn how snowfall happening later in the year than usual is impacting cultural practices in this video segment about climate change adapted from the College of Menominee Nation.

In this video segment adapted from the College of Menominee Nation, tribal members observe lower water levels in lakes and streams and call for global, collaborative solutions to address climate change.

This math meets ecology lesson provides hands-on experiences with mixing oil and water, provides surface area information about the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and gives learners opportunities to estimate small oil spills of their own making. This lesson guide includes questions for learners, assessment options, extensions, and reflection questions.

This math meets ecology lesson provides hands-on experiences with mixing oil and water, provides surface area information about the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and gives learners opportunities to estimate small oil spills of their own making. This lesson guide includes questions for learners, assessment options, extensions, and reflection questions.

This activity is a field investigation where students will make observations on a chosen location every two weeks for the period of one school year. They will record their observations using a digital camera and a nature journal.

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.

This Java applet allows children to explore a balancing tool and thus build their algebraic thinking about equivalency. By placing shapes on each side of the balance and finding equivalent sets of weights, students discover the weight of each shape in one of six built-in sets or a random set.

In this unit, students investigate fractional parts of the whole and use translations, reflections, rotations, and line symmetry to make four-part quilt squares. Students have a practical context for using the mathematical terms associated with divisions of the square, transformations, and symmetries. Suggestions for implementation and extensions are included.

This interactive applet lets students create quilting type patterns and explore tessellation possibilities. The applet gives learners a choice of six polygons that can be turned or flipped and fitted together. Suggestions for exploration and five challenge patterns are provided. The tool supports a number of lessons and units including What's So Special About Triangles and Virtual Pattern Blocks (cataloged separately).

This five lesson Illuminations unit gives students an opportunity to create and analyze numeric and geometric patterns with particular emphasis on growing patterns. The lesson titles are respectively, What's Next?, Patterns On Charts, Growing Patterns, Exploring Other Number Patterns and Looking Back And Moving Forward. Each lesson includes learning objectives, material list, instructional plan, linked resources and assessment options.

This article describes how the lifestyle of Alaska's Inupiat people have changed over time, and the new challenges they now face as a result of a changing climate. Versions are available for students in grades K-1, 2-3 and 4-5. Related science and literacy activities are included.

This mobile app (available for both iOS and Android devices) was developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics with funding from Verizon Foundation. The app is based on the Decimal Maze from the popular lesson "Too Big or Too Small". The goal is to help Okta reach the target (maximum, minimum, or a specific value) by choosing a path from the top of the maze to the bottom — adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing as the player goes. Seven levels with seven puzzles in each level test the player's skills with operation with powers of ten, negative numbers, fractions, decimals, and exponents.

This instructional guide (PDF) is for the mobile app Pick-a-Path (both iOS and Android platforms). The guide provides professional development by discussing the math in each level of the game, giving suggestions for classroom use, and recommending related resources from Illuminations. The Pick-a-Path app is cataloged separately and listed as a related resource.

This assignment asks students to examine several recent U.S. census tables about Hispanics and educational attainment and write a brief report that details the conclusions they reach.

In this data collection and analysis activity students investigate the data in connection with recyclable materials and develop plans to help the environment. Through this activity, students explore recycling plastic containers and graph the frequency of different types of recyclable plastics. The lesson includes student worksheets, extension suggestions, and student questions.