Shared by an elementary school math and science teacher.
Ratios & Proportional Relationships
The Number System
Adding Whole Numbers and Decimals (Base-10 Blocks)
Use base-10 blocks to model two numbers. Then combine the blocks to model the sum. Blocks of equal value can be exchanged from one area of the mat to the other to help understand carrying when adding. Four sets of blocks are available to model different place values.
Multiplying Decimals (Area Model)
Model the product of two decimals by finding the area of a rectangle. Estimate the area of the rectangle first. Then break the rectangle into several pieces and find the area of each piece (partial product). Add these areas together to find the whole area (product).
Subtracting Whole Numbers and Decimals (Base-10 Blocks)
Use base-10 blocks to model a starting number. Then subtract blocks from this number by dragging them into a subtraction bin. Blocks of equal value can be exchanged from one section of the mat to the other to help understand regrouping and borrowing. Four sets of blocks are available to model different place values.
Pattern Flip (Patterns)
In the Pattern Flip carnival game, you are shown a pattern of cards. The first cards are face-up so you can see the pattern, and the rest are face-down. Can you guess which animals are on the face-down cards? Use one of the preset patterns, or make your own custom pattern. Good luck!
Expressions & Equations
Modeling Fractions (Area Models)
Model and compare fractions using area models. Set the denominators with the arrow buttons, and then set the numerators with the arrow buttons or by clicking in the models. Compare fractions visually, on a number line, or numerically using the least common denominator.
Simplifying Algebraic Expressions I
Meet Spidro, a quirky critter with an appetite for algebraic expressions! As Spidro's adopted owner, it's your responsibility to feed him so that he grows into… whatever it is that a Spidro grows into. But be careful - Spidro is a picky eater who prefers his food to be as simple as possible. Use the commutative property, distributive property, and the other properties of addition and multiplication to put expressions in simplest (and tastiest) form.
Simplifying Algebraic Expressions II
Will you adopt Spidro, Centeon, or Ping Bee? They're three very different critters with one thing in common: a hunger for simplified algebraic expressions! Learn how the distributive property can be used to combine variable terms, producing expressions that will help your pet grow up healthy and strong. You'll become a pro at identifying terms that can be combined – even terms with exponents and multiple variables. With enough practice, you and your pet will be ready for the competitive expression eating circuit. Good luck!
Solving Algebraic Equations I
Are there times when you wish you could escape from everyone and just be alone? Meet our variable friend, a real loner who doesn't like coefficients and neighboring terms. Learn how to use inverses to isolate a variable – a foundational skill for solving algebraic equations.
Solving Algebraic Equations II
Is solving equations tricky? If you know how to isolate a variable, you're halfway there. The other half? Don't do anything to upset the balance of an equation. Join our plucky variable friend as he encounters algebraic equations and a (sometimes grumpy) equal sign. With a little practice, you'll find that solving equations isn't tricky at all.
Geometry
Equivalent Algebraic Expressions I
Grumpy’s Restaurant is now hiring! As a new chef at this underwater bistro, you’ll learn the basics of manipulating algebraic expressions. Learn how to make equivalent expressions using the Commutative and Associative properties, how to handle pesky subtraction and division, and how to identify equivalent and non-equivalent expressions.
Equivalent Algebraic Expressions II
Continue your meteoric rise in the undersea culinary world in this follow-up to Equivalent Algebraic Expressions I. Make equivalent expressions by using the distributive property forwards and backwards, sort expressions by equivalence, and personally assist Chef Grumpy himself with a project that will bring him (and maybe you) fame and fortune.
Statistics & Probability
Polling: City
Poll residents in a large city to determine their response to a yes-or-no question. Estimate the actual percentage of yes votes in the whole city. Examine the results of many polls to help assess how reliable the results from a single poll are. See how the normal curve approximates a binomial distribution for large enough polls.
Polling: Neighborhood
Conduct a phone poll of citizens in a small neighborhood to determine their response to a yes-or-no question. Use the results to estimate the sentiment of the entire population. Investigate how the error of this estimate becomes smaller as more people are polled. Compare random versus non-random sampling.
Reaction Time 2 (Graphs and Statistics)
Test your reaction time by catching a falling ruler or clicking a target. Create a data set of experiment results, and calculate the range, mode, median, and mean of your data. Data can be displayed on a list, table, bar graph or dot plot. The Reaction Time 2 Student Exploration focuses on mean.
Reaction Time 1 (Graphs and Statistics)
Test your reaction time by catching a falling ruler or clicking a target. Create a data set of experiment results, and calculate the range, mode, median, and mean of your data. Data can be displayed on a list, table, bar graph or dot plot. The Reaction Time 1 Student Exploration focuses on range, mode, and median.
Reaction Time 2 (Graphs and Statistics)
Test your reaction time by catching a falling ruler or clicking a target. Create a data set of experiment results, and calculate the range, mode, median, and mean of your data. Data can be displayed on a list, table, bar graph or dot plot. The Reaction Time 2 Student Exploration focuses on mean.
Summarize & describe distributions
Graphing Skills
Create a graph (bar graph, line graph, pie chart, or scatter plot) based on a given data set. Title the graph, label the axes, and choose a scale. Adjust the graph to fit the data, and then check your accuracy. The Gizmo can also be used to create a data table based on a given graph.
Time Estimation
Try to estimate the passage of time by selecting a time interval, clicking the Start button, and clicking Stop when you think the interval has passed. The estimate and percent error are recorded. Compare different techniques for estimating time, as well as the average error for long time intervals versus shorter intervals.
