This task gives students the opportunity to verify that a dilation takes …
This task gives students the opportunity to verify that a dilation takes a line that does not pass through the center to a line parallel to the original line, and to verify that a dilation of a line segment (whether it passes through the center or not) is longer or shorter by the scale factor.
This task does not actually require that the student solve the system …
This task does not actually require that the student solve the system but that they recognize the pairs of linear equations in two variables that would be used to solve the system. This is an important step in the process of solving systems.
Students create model elevator carriages and calibrate them, similar to the work …
Students create model elevator carriages and calibrate them, similar to the work of design and quality control engineers. Students use measurements from rotary encoders to recreate the task of calibrating elevators for a high-rise building. They translate the rotations from an encoder to correspond to the heights of different floors in a hypothetical multi-story building. Students also determine the accuracy of their model elevators in getting passengers to their correct destinations.
Students design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition …
Students design and conduct experiments to determine what environmental factors favor decomposition by soil microbes. They use chunks of carrots for the materials to be decomposed, and their experiments are carried out in plastic bags filled with dirt. Every few days students remove the carrots from the dirt and weigh them. Depending on the experimental conditions, after a few weeks most of the carrots will have decomposed completely.
This purpose of this task is to help students see two different …
This purpose of this task is to help students see two different ways to look at percentages both as a decrease and an increase of an original amount. In addition, students have to turn a verbal description of several operations into mathematical symbols.
This task asks students to find a linear function that models something …
This task asks students to find a linear function that models something in the real world. After finding the equation of the linear relationship between the depth of the water and the distance across the channel, students have to verbalize the meaning of the slope and intercept of the line in the context of this situation.
An interactive applet and associated web page that demonstrate how to find …
An interactive applet and associated web page that demonstrate how to find the perpendicular distance between a point and a line using trigonometry, given the coordinates of the point and the slope/intercept of the line. The applet has a line with sliders that adjust its slope and intercept, and a draggable point. As the line is altered or the point dragged, the distance is recalculated. The grid and coordinates can be turned on and off. The distance calculation can be turned off to permit class exercises and then turned back on the verify the answers. The applet can be printed as it appears on the screen to make handouts. The web page has a full description of the concept of the concepts, a worked example and has links to other pages relating to coordinate geometry. Applet can be enlarged to full screen size for use with a classroom projector. This resource is a component of the Math Open Reference Interactive Geometry textbook project at http://www.mathopenref.com.
The purpose of this task is meant to reinforce students' understanding of …
The purpose of this task is meant to reinforce students' understanding of rational numbers as points on the number line and to provide them with a visual way of understanding that the sum of a number and its additive inverse (usually called its "opposite") is zero.
This task asks students to find equivalent expressions by visualizing a familiar …
This task asks students to find equivalent expressions by visualizing a familiar activity involving distance. The given solution shows some possible equivalent expressions, but there are many variations possible.
The purpose of this task is to introduce the idea of exponential …
The purpose of this task is to introduce the idea of exponential growth and then connect that growth to expressions involving exponents. It illustrates well how fast exponential expressions grow.
This problem allows the student to think geometrically about lines and then …
This problem allows the student to think geometrically about lines and then relate this geometry to linear functions. Or the student can work algebraically with equations in order to find the explicit equation of the line through two points (when that line is not vertical).
This task requires students to use the normal distribution as a model …
This task requires students to use the normal distribution as a model for a data distribution. Students must use given means and standard deviations to approximate population percentages. There are several ways (tables, graphing calculators, or statistical software) that students might calculate the required normal percentages. Depending on the method used, answers might vary somewhat from those shown in the solution.
In this activity, students squeeze a tennis ball to demonstrate the strength …
In this activity, students squeeze a tennis ball to demonstrate the strength of the human heart. Working in teams, they think of ways to keep the heart beating if the natural mechanism were to fail. The goal of this activity is to get students to understand the strength and resilience of the heart.
Students work with specified materials to create aqueduct components that can transport …
Students work with specified materials to create aqueduct components that can transport two liters of water across a short distance in their classroom. The design challenge is to create an aqueduct that can supply Aqueductis, a (hypothetical) Roman city, with clean water for private homes, public baths and fountains as well as crop irrigation.
The purpose of the task is to analyze a plausible real-life scenario …
The purpose of the task is to analyze a plausible real-life scenario using a geometric model. The task requires knowledge of volume formulas for cylinders and cones, some geometric reasoning involving similar triangles, and pays attention to reasonable approximations and maintaining reasonable levels of accuracy throughout.
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