Catalog+of+Projects

Online Project Sources

1. Teaching Mathematics through Origami

 * ===Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===On this site, we offer general and specific strategies for using activities based on origami to invoke mathematical thinking. Next, we indicate how origami can relate to the current goals of K-12 mathematical education. The basic strategy is for students to do the teaching. ===
 * ===CCSS Alignment Details ===

2. Walking Graphs

 * ===Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===Students go outside and walk, walk faster, then run, each time with a 100 meter string that is marked every 10 meters. Go to classroom and create graphs with a distance and a speed axis, then plot the walkers’ coordinates on the graph for each of the measured walks (walk, walk faster, run). ===
 * ===CCSS Alignment Details ===

3. Green Thumbs

 * === Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * === Students learn about mathematical variables by growing plants. After their planted seeds have sprouted, each group uses different amounts of sunlight and water to determine what variables produced what outcomes. ===
 * ===CCSS Alignment Details ===

4. [|Water Problems]

 * ===Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===Using Google Earth, students trace paths from a village to a water source. In performing this activity, students learn to express elevation as integers, analyze data on a chart, and explore other mathematical as well as real world problems. ===
 * ===CCSS Alignment Details ===

5. Iditarod Challenge

 * ===Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * === Using Google Earth, students plot the path of the Iditarod race according to differing speeds. This lesson teaches students to calculate time using the distance formula, convert elapsed time between decimals and minutes, and adding elapsed time. ===
 * ===CCSS Alignment Details ===

6. [|Play Ball!]

 * ===Grade Levels: 7-10 ===
 * ===This project uses baseball cards and sports media to engage students in the question of how we use mathematics in our everyday life. Students will learn to compare numerical values (RBI, ERA, etc.) to produce statistical analyses that will then go into a presentation on a facet of baseball to help spectators enjoy the game. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

7. This New House

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Level: 10 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“In a study of sustainable architecture, students work in pairs to create a scale site plan, scale floor plans, scale exterior elevations, a scale architectural model of the home, and a pamphlet explaining the design.” Students engaged in this project will learn the mathematical concepts and practices of area, volume, and trigonometry functions, among other concepts, as they relate to sustainable architecture. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

8. Urban Art Project

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Level: 9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“In small groups, students build a scale model of a tree design for a citywide Urban Art project. In addition to the model, the team creates detailed instructions for how they built the tree and how it will remain stable in the outdoors in order to demonstrate their application of math and physics concepts.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

10. Architectural Planning with Pythagoras

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Level: 8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“In a real-world scenario, students will explore and utilize the Pythagorean Theorem in construction. They will perform computations using squares and square roots and demonstrate an understanding of rational and irrational numbers. They will also explore the impact of these ideas on large numbers through the use of powers and scientific notation.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

11.Truth in Advertising

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“Students will derive and justify formulas for areas and volumes of solids and will apply these formulas to real-world problems.” The focus for this project is for students to examine the mathematical accuracy of claims made in television commercials. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

13.Investing—Risk vs. Reward

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> “The students will research, hypothesize outcomes, and collect and interpret data using various mathematical tools including tables, correlation coefficient analysis, measures of central tendency and measures of dispersion. The students will use this information to help them create a portfolio based on of these technical aspects of stocks.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

14.Carpenter Ants

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students are given the project of building a storage building for a local business. “Students will construct a model of their building to scale, and show calculations of area, perimeter, and volume of their building,” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

15.Just Add Water

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-7 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">By designing a Splash Pad for under a certain amount of money, students will learn how to build something within budget constraints. As well, by developing equations for tables of values, graphing the linear equations, and then interpreting their results, students will employ pre-algebra skills. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

16.ESL Statistical Analysts

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Level: 8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“Students will prepare an oral presentation that discusses the need for the ESL Adult Program to continue to serve the residents of the local area. In the presentation, students will include their data and graphs that analyze this program over the past five years.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

17.Surreal Estate

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-7 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“This scenario involves land development that incorporates percents, ratios, data sets, central tendencies and statistics, to lure a potential business into Dearborn County. Businesses, governments and relators use this type of data and scenarios to pursue potential clients.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

18.The Cost of What Is “Wright”

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“This project contains concepts that are used by adults when figuring and purchasing tile, carpet, etc. Students will be able to relate as they will be engaged in using their homes as references. Students will also learn a new technology to complete their final scale drawing and 3D model.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

19.Greenbacks or Greenspace: Decisions about San Francisco Land Use

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“This project asks students to use matrices and linear algebra to develop a recommendation for the mayor of San Francisco of how to best use 550 acres of donated land for either recreation or development.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

20.Systems of Equations and Inequalities

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will prepare a written plan for the doctors suggesting nutrition requirements that should be included in the diets for patients with a specific illness. Students will utilize a variety of problem solving strategies both algebraically and graphically, with and without technology, to analyze and solve systems of equations and inequalities. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

21.This Pool Is too Cool

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will design a mat that that heats a pool of water. Students select and use a variety of problem solving strategies, both algebraic and graphical, with and without technology, to analyze quadratic equations over real numbers, communicate results and justify solutions in a clear and concise manner when solving real-world problems. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

22.GaGa Pit

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students use math to construct an octagonal enclosure in which they can play GaGa (a.k.a. Israeli Dodgeball). In construction, students learn measurements and angles by cutting wood and have their abilities tested by the integrity of the octagon they build. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

23.Submarine Density Project

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students construct mini submarines in order to explain how density, mass and volume work in a real environment. In order to support their mini submarines, students must make calculation relevant to density, mass, and volume as well as account for variables such as water density. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

24.Shock and Awe: Projectile Motion in the Crusades

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-8 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">“Students spent a significant amount of time learning about projectile motion and quadratics, learning what quadratics are and how to work with them. Students then applied this to projectile motion, making the connection between a parabola and the path of the projectile.” ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">26. The Game of Set

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Level: 6 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students learn to play the card game Set in which each card in the deck has a picture with four attributes. The game is an exercise in determining the statistical probability of other players’ cards. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

27.Gas Crunch

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This project is intended for the learners to examine the impact of gasoline cost on the U.S. The learners will study the use and cost of gasoline along with its effect on the economy and what different effects hybrid vehicles could produce on gas costs. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

28.My First Car

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will have a monthly car budget provided by the teacher and will be responsible for finding their monthly cost of insurance, their monthly gas costs, and their monthly repair costs. Students will then be required to figure out how much money they can spend on a vehicle. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

29.Floor Makeover

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will assist the owner of rental property in re-flooring selected areas in a rental house. Students will need to find different flooring options and state the cost for each including installation as linear equations. This project requires students to use surface area formulas, scale drawings, proportions, and linear equations. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

30.Generic vs. Name Brand

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students must create a family budget and determine whether to buy generic or name brand products. This determination will be based on experiments and research done by students of various products and will require a series of mathematical operations for graphing differences in a final presentation. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

31.Environmental Action Groups

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students are tasked with answering the question “What can we do to help lower or eliminate the causes/effects of Acid Rain, Air Pollution, Water Pollution and Deforestation?” They form groups in which students take the role of a chemist, economist, biologist, or medical researcher in order to create a project that will answer some facet of this question with mathematical support from each field of study represented by the group. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

32.My First Job

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This project is intended to have students examine what qualities the ideal student possesses, explore basic banking concepts, and to work together to design an effective classroom economy system to use in our classroom. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

33.Mercator Maps

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students are shown how part of their world view is based on the Mercator Map, and that this projection has many distortions which have given them a distorted world view. These distortions are expressed mathematically through comparing measurements and scales between maps and geographical data. Students will then create a PSA warning people about the distortions. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

34.Bungee Barbie

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will calculate how many rubber bands will be needed for a doll to safely bungee jump from a given height (e.g., the balcony of a school auditorium). Students will use knowledge of linear relations to make predictions based on tables, graphs and equations. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

35.Materials and Structures

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will produce a lab report on testing the properties of various materials (such as pine, oak, ceramic, steel, reinforced concrete, glass, and carbon fiber). They must then design and build a structure capable of enclosing a given space and capable of surviving the elements of their local climate. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

36.Make a Creature

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-9 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will apply their knowledge and use of geometry skills to the construction of a fantasy creature. They will design the creature with a variety of polygons, 3-dimensional objects, and various materials with a focus on the geometric concepts inherent to such shapes. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

37.Up to Par

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The project takes a hands-on approach to learning by having students experiment with a ball bouncing off of a wall, make observations about the rebound of the ball, and formulate a conclusion about the angle at which the ball leaves. The challenge of designing a miniature golf course becomes an avenue for exploring geometry concepts and practicing basic math skills, such as angles, reflections, scale drawing, geometric constructions, and proofs. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

38.Gas or Hybrid?

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will research, gather, analyze, and synthesize (math content) information to produce a consumer report (literacy content) comparing and contrasting the benefits of hybrid and gas automobiles. This will allow students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the problem of rising gas prices and come to a conclusion about whether hybrid automobiles are actually saving the consumer money. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

39.Do Plants Keep Us Healthy?

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The major plan is to have students become familiar with photosynthesis and linear regression analysis. This requires a learning collaboration between science and statistics by constructing a hypothesis about how the number of plants in schools or businesses is correlated with the number of sick days taken or the number of students absent from illnesses. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

40.High Flyers

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will design and build a kite that will fly. Kites will show how several aspects of geometry are used in design and construction, such as angles, polygons, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, and skew lines. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

42.How Big Is Barbie?

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will measure various dolls and calculate the real-life measurements. They will then measure themselves and calculate their doll measurements. This will give students the opportunity to learn more about why some toys are not accurate depiction of real life. This will also allow students the opportunity to develop an understanding of the relationships between media influence and their own self-image. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

43.Plan an Embankment Dam

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The students will work in teams to plan the construction of an embankment dam in order to build a pond. The students use knowledge of linear functions in order to determine the size, shape of the dam and the amount, cost of materials needed. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

44.Connecting Math to Our Lives

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">In this project students are invited to a) explore how math is used in their families and communities; and b) use math skills to investigate community or social concerns and then take action to promote greater equity in the world around them. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

45.OF2 - Our Footprints, Our Future

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Through the (OF)2 project, students can input data on their lifestyles into a unique online youth calculator developed by Zerofootprint.net that has been adapted to recognize different cultural and socio-economic settings, housing, modes of transportation and food consumption. Students discuss how their lifestyle affects climate changes around the world. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

46.Daffodil and Tulip Project

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Classrooms around the world choose Daffodil and/or Tulip bulbs to plant during the same week in November. Students will be asked to collect temperature data throughout the experiment and report to the group – in addition they will report when the blooms appear etc. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

47.RelightNY: Change a Light Bulb, Change the City

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 9-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students measure the amount of electricity Incandescent and CFL lightbulbs use, comparing the differences. They then take CFLs home to use in place of Incandescent bulbs and look for any differences in the amount of money paid on their home electricity bill. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

48.School-wide Recycling Project

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will engage their school in a recycling project to reduce the waste that goes to landfills. Math and technology skills will be used to collect, record, and analyze data associated with school-wide recycling trends. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

49.Cost of Running A School

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students develop an understanding of the costs associated with running their school by evaluating two different approaches: The Green Approach and The Waste Approach. Students will interpret statistical data to draw conclusion about the Continuum of Care model. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===

50.Cost of Living

 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grade Levels: 6-12 ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students develop an understanding of the difficulties of improving socioeconomic class as well as the difficulties of attaining housing and employment when faced with other obstacles. This will, in part, be done through calculations of budgets, resources, and institutional expenditures across the socio-economic spectrum in order to link economic notions of choice to statistical data on resource distribution. ===
 * ===<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">CCSS Alignment Details ===