Access Informal Geometry   (#7912060)

Learn the process of completing the square of a quadratic function to find the maximum or minimum to discover how high a dolphin jumped in this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 of a 2 part series. Click HERE to open part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn the process of completing the square of a quadratic function to find the maximum or minimum to discover how high a dolphin jumped in this interactive tutorial.

This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Click HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Follow Jake along as he relates box plots with other plots and identifies possible outliers in real-world data from surveys of moviegoers' ages in part 2 in this interactive tutorial.

This is part 2 of 2-part series, click HERE to view part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Follow Jake as he displays real-world data by creating box plots showing the 5 number summary and compares the spread of the data from surveys of the ages of moviegoers in part 1 of this interactive tutorial.

This is part 1 of 2-part series, click HERE to view part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about exponential growth in the context of interest earned as money is put in a savings account by examining equations, graphs, and tables in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to solve rational linear and quadratic equations using cross multiplication in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to solve and graph compound inequalities and determine if solutions are viable in part 2 of this interactive tutorial series.

Click HERE to open Part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to solve and graph one variable inequalities, including compound inequalities, in part 1 of this interactive tutorial series.

Click HERE to open Part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This is Part Two of a two-part series. Learn to identify faulty reasoning in this interactive tutorial series. You'll learn what some experts say about year-round schools, what research has been conducted about their effectiveness, and how arguments can be made for and against year-round education. Then, you'll read a speech in favor of year-round schools and identify faulty reasoning within the argument, specifically the use of hasty generalizations.

Make sure to complete Part One before Part Two! Click HERE to launch Part One.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to identify faulty reasoning in this two-part interactive English Language Arts tutorial. You'll learn what some experts say about year-round schools, what research has been conducted about their effectiveness, and how arguments can be made for and against year-round education. Then, you'll read a speech in favor of year-round schools and identify faulty reasoning within the argument, specifically the use of hasty generalizations. 

Make sure to complete both parts of this series! Click HERE to open Part Two. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Examine President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address in this interactive tutorial. You will examine Kennedy's argument, main claim, smaller claims, reasons, and evidence.

In Part Four, you'll use what you've learned throughout this series to evaluate Kennedy's overall argument.

Make sure to complete the previous parts of this series before beginning Part 4.

• Click HERE to launch Part One.
• Click HERE to launch Part Two.
• Click HERE to launch Part Three.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Examine President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address in this interactive tutorial. You will examine Kennedy's argument, main claim, smaller claims, reasons, and evidence. By the end of this four-part series, you should be able to evaluate his overall argument. 

In Part Three, you will read more of Kennedy's speech and identify a smaller claim in this section of his speech. You will also evaluate this smaller claim's relevancy to the main claim and evaluate Kennedy's reasons and evidence. 

Make sure to complete all four parts of this series!

• Click HERE to launch Part One.
• Click HERE to launch Part Two.
• Click HERE to launch Part Four.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to find the point on a directed line segment that partitions it into a given ratio in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to find the zeros of a quadratic function and interpret their meaning in real-world contexts with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This is Part Two of a two-part tutorial series. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying a speaker's purpose using a speech by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. You will examine her use of rhetorical appeals, including ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos. Finally, you'll evaluate the effectiveness of Earhart's use of rhetorical appeals.

Be sure to complete Part One first. Click here to launch PART ONE.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This is Part One of a two-part tutorial series. In this interactive tutorial, you'll practice identifying a speaker's purpose using a speech by aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. You will examine her use of rhetorical appeals, including ethos, logos, pathos, and kairos. Finally, you'll evaluate the effectiveness of Earhart's use of rhetorical appeals. 

Click here to launch PART TWO.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Practice writing different aspects of an expository essay about scientists using drones to research glaciers in Peru. This interactive tutorial is part four of a four-part series. In this final tutorial, you will learn about the elements of a body paragraph. You will also create a body paragraph with supporting evidence. Finally, you will learn about the elements of a conclusion and practice creating a “gift.” 

This tutorial is part four of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1)
• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4)

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay in this interactive tutorial. This tutorial is the third part of a four-part series. In previous tutorials in this series, students analyzed an informational text and video about scientists using drones to explore glaciers in Peru. Students also determined the central idea and important details of the text and wrote an effective summary. In part three, you'll learn how to write an introduction for an expository essay about the scientists' research. 

This tutorial is part three of a four-part series. Click below to open the other tutorials in this series.

• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 1)
• Drones and Glaciers: Eyes in the Sky (Part 2)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 3)
• Expository Writing: Eyes in the Sky (Part 4)

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to complete the square of a quadratic expression and identify the maximum or minimum value of the quadratic function it defines. In this interactive tutorial, you'll also interpret the meaning of the maximum and minimum of a quadratic function in a real world context.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to rewrite products involving radicals and rational exponents using properties of exponents in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to determine the shape of a cross-section created by the intersection of a slicing plane with a pyramid or prism in this ninja-themed, interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn to calculate the volume of a cone as you solve real-world problems in this ice cream-themed, interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Explore the relationship between mutations, the cell cycle, and uncontrolled cell growth which may result in cancer with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Write linear inequalities for different money situations in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

This virtual manipulative can be used to demonstrate and explore the effect of translation, rotation, and/or reflection on a variety of plane figures. A series of transformations can be explored to result in a specified final image.

Type: Educational Software / Tool

The tide is high! How can we statistically prove there is a relationship between the tides on the Gulf Coast and in a fresh water spring 20 miles from each other?

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Expert

Statistical analysis played an essential role in using microgravity sensors to determine location of caves in Wakulla County.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Expert

<p>Get fired up as you learn more about ceramic glaze recipes and mathematical units.</p>

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

<p>Don't be a shrinking violet. Learn how uniform scaling is important for candy production.</p>

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

<p>See and see far into the future of arts and manufacturing as a technician explains computer numerically controlled (CNC) machining bit by bit.</p>

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

<p>You'll need to bring your computer skills and math knowledge to estimate oil volume and rate as it seeps from the ocean floor. Dive in!</p>

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

The purpose of this task is to allow students to demonstrate an ability to construct boxplots and to use boxplots as the basis for comparing distributions.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task challenges students to answer probability questions about SAT scores, using distribution and mean to solve the problem.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem could be used as an introductory lesson to introduce group comparisons and to engage students in a question they may find amusing and interesting.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to have students complete normal distribution calculations and to use properties of normal distributions to draw conclusions.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

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.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The task provides a context to calculate discrete probabilities and represent them on a bar graph.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task asks students to use similarity to solve a problem in a context that will be familiar to many, though most students are accustomed to using intuition rather than geometric reasoning to set up the shot.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this problem, students are given a picture of two triangles that appear to be similar, but whose similarity cannot be proven without further information. Asking students to provide a sequence of similarity transformations that maps one triangle to the other, using the definition of similarity in terms of similarity transformations.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task involves a reasonably direct application of similar triangles, coupled with a moderately challenging procedure of constructing a diagram from a verbal description.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to engage students in geometric modeling, and in particular to deduce algebraic relationships between variables stemming from geometric constraints.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this example, students are asked to write a function describing the population growth of algae. It is implied that this is exponential growth.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Using a chart of diameters of different denominations of coins, students are asked to figure out how many coins fit around a central coin. (For this task, United States coins are used, but the task can be adapted for coins from other countries.)

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem asks students to model phenomena on the surface of the earth by examining the visibility of the lamp in a lighthouse from a boat.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task encourages students to explore why solar eclipses are rare by examining the radius of the sun and the furthest distance between the moon and the earth.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task gives students the opportunity to prove a fact about quadrilaterals: that if we join the midpoints of an arbitrary quadrilateral to form a new quadrilateral, then the new quadrilateral is a parallelogram, even if the original quadrilateral was not.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task asks students to make deductions about a line after it has been dilated by a factor of 2.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The goal of this task is to model a familiar object, an Olympic track, using geometric shapes. Calculations of perimeters of these shapes explain the staggered start of runners in a 400 meter race.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this problem, geometry is applied to a 400 meter track to find the perimeter of the track.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this task, a typographic grid system serves as the background for a standard paper clip. A metric measurement scale is drawn across the bottom of the grid and the paper clip extends in both directions slightly beyond the grid. Students are given the approximate length of the paper clip and determine the number of like paper clips made from a given length of wire.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this task, students will provide a sketch of a paper ice cream cone wrapper, use the sketch to develop a formula for the surface area of the wrapper, and estimate the maximum number of wrappers that could be cut from a rectangular piece of paper.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task asks students to explain which measurements are needed to estimate the thickness of a soda can. Multiple solution processes are presented.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task challenges students to find the surface area of a soda can, calculate how many cubic centimeters of aluminum it contains, and estimate how thick it is.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This is a mathematical modeling task aimed at making a reasonable estimate for something which is too large to count accurately, the number of leaves on a tree.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This is a mathematical modeling task aimed at making a reasonable estimate for something which is too large to count accurately, the number of leaves on a tree.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task challenges students to apply the concepts of mass, volume, and density in the real-world context to find how many cells are in the human body.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The goal of this task is to use geometry to study the structure of beehives.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Reflective of the modernness of the technology involved, this is a challenging geometric modeling task in which students discover from scratch the geometric principles underlying the software used by GPS systems.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task gives an interesting context for implementing ideas from geometry and trigonometry.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task uses the tale of Archimedes and the King of Syracuse's crown to determine the volume and mass of gold and silver.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task asks students to find the area of a triangle by using unit squares and line segments.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

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.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task ask students to show the reflection of one triangle maps to another triangle.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this problem, we considered SSA. The triangle congruence criteria, SSS, SAS, ASA, all require three pieces of information. It is interesting, however, that not all three pieces of information about sides and angles are sufficient to determine a triangle up to congruence.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task provides a concrete geometric setting in which to study rigid transformations of the plane.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task challenges students to explain the reason why the given triangles are congruent, and to construct reflections of the points.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This activity uses rigid transformations of the plane to explore symmetries of classes of triangles.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task gives students a chance to see the impact of reflections on an explicit object and to see that the reflections do not always commute.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This activity is one in a series of tasks using rigid transformations of the plane to explore symmetries of classes of triangles, with this task in particular focusing on the class of equilaterial triangles

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to use geometric and algebraic reasoning to model a real-life scenario. In particular, students are in several places (implicitly or explicitly) to reason as to when making approximations is reasonable and when to round, when to use equalities vs. inequalities, and the choice of units to work with (e.g., mm vs. cm).

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task presents a context that leads students toward discovery of the formula for calculating the volume of a sphere.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task is inspired by the derivation of the volume formula for the sphere. If a sphere of radius 1 is enclosed in a cylinder of radius 1 and height 2, then the volume not occupied by the sphere is equal to the volume of a "double-naped cone" with vertex at the center of the sphere and bases equal to the bases of the cylinder

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task combines two skills: making use of the relationship between a tangent segment to a circle and the radius touching that tangent segment, and computing lengths of circular arcs given the radii and central angles.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task asks students to explain certain characteristics about a triangle.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task provides a good opportunity to use isosceles triangles and their properties to show an interesting and important result about triangles inscribed in a circle: the fact that these triangles are always right triangles is often referred to as Thales' theorem.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This particular problem solving task exhibits congruency between two triangles, demonstrating translation, reflection and rotation.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task applies reflections to a regular octagon to construct a pattern of four octagons enclosing a quadrilateral: the focus of the task is on using the properties of reflections to deduce that the quadrilateral is actually a square.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task applies reflections to a regular hexagon to construct a pattern of six hexagons enclosing a seventh: the focus of the task is on using the properties of reflections to deduce this seven hexagon pattern.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is primarily assessment-oriented, asking students to demonstrate knowledge of how to determine the congruency of triangles.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task challenges students to find the perpendicular meeting point of a segment from the center of a circle and a tangent.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task applies geometric concepts, namely properties of tangents to circles and of right triangles, in a modeling situation. The key geometric point in this task is to recognize that the line of sight from the mountain top towards the horizon is tangent to the earth. We can then use a right triangle where one leg is tangent to a circle and the other leg is the radius of the circle to investigate this situation.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task challenges students to find the linear, exponential and quadratic functions based on two points.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task asks students to predict and model US population based on a chart of US population data from 1982 to 1988.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem solving task asks students to solve five exponential and linear function problems based on a US population chart for the years 1790-1860.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to give students an opportunity to explore various aspects of exponential models (e.g., distinguishing between constant absolute growth and constant relative growth, solving equations using logarithms, applying compound interest formulas) in the context of a real world problem with ties to developing financial literacy skills. In particular, students are introduced to the idea of inflation of prices of a single commodity, and are given a very brief introduction to the notion of the Consumer Price Index for measuring inflation of a body of goods.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task gives a variation of real-life contexts which could be modeled by a linear or exponential function. The key distinguishing feature between the two is whether the change by equal factors over equal intervals (exponential functions), or by a constant increase per unit interval (linear functions). The task could either be used as an assessment problem on this distinction, or used as an introduction to the differences between these very important classes of functions.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task requires students to use the fact that on the graph of the linear function h(x) = ax + b, the y-coordinate increases by a when x increases by one. Specific values for a and b were left out intentionally to encourage students to use the above fact as opposed to computing the point of intersection, (p,q), and then computing respective function values to answer the question.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task gives students an opportunity to work with exponential functions in a real world context involving continuously compounded interest. They will study how the base of the exponential function impacts its growth rate and use logarithms to solve exponential equations.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This exploratory task requires the student to use properties of exponential functions in order to estimate how much Carbon 14 remains in a preserved plant after different amounts of time.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task involves a fairly straightforward decaying exponential. Filling out the table and developing the general formula is complicated only by the need to work with a fraction that requires decisions about rounding and precision.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The given solutions for this task involve the creation and solving of a system of two equations and two unknowns, with the caveat that the context of the problem implies that we are interested only in non-negative integer solutions. Indeed, in the first solution, we must also restrict our attention to the case that one of the variables is further even. This aspect of the task is illustrative of the mathematical practice of modeling with mathematics, and crucial as the system has an integer solution for both situations, that is, whether we include the dollar on the floor in the cash box or not.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task requires students to use the fact that the value of an exponential function f(x) = a · b^x increases by a multiplicative factor of b when x increases by one. It intentionally omits specific values for c and d in order to encourage students to use this fact instead of computing the point of intersection, (p,q), and then computing function values to answer the question.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem assumes that students are familiar with the notation x₀ and ?x. However, the language "successive quotient" may be new.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task assumes that students are familiar with the ?x and ?y notations. Students most likely developed this familiarity in their work with slope.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

An important property of linear functions is that they grow by equal differences over equal intervals. In F.LE Equal Differences over Equal Intervals 1, students prove this for equal intervals of length one unit, and note that in this case the equal differences have the same value as the slope.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem-solving task asks students to examine if linear modeling would be appropriate to describe and predict population growth from select years.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem-solving task provides students an opportunity to experiment with modeling real data by using population growth rates from the past two centuries.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem-solving task challenges students to write expressions and create a table to calculate how much money can be gained after investing at different banks with different interest rates.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem-solving task asks students to describe exponential growth through a real-world problem involving the illegal introduction of fish into a lake.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem-solving emphasizes the expectation that students know linear functions grow by constant differences over equal intervals and exponential functions grow by constant factors over equal intervals.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The principal purpose of the task is to explore a real-world application problem with algebra, working with units and maintaining reasonable levels of accuracy throughout. Students are asked to determine which product will be the most economical to meet the requirements given in the problem.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task examines the ways in which the plane can be covered by regular polygons in a very strict arrangement called a regular tessellation. These tessellations are studied here using algebra, which enters the picture via the formula for the measure of the interior angles of a regular polygon (which should therefore be introduced or reviewed before beginning the task). The goal of the task is to use algebra in order to understand which tessellations of the plane with regular polygons are possible.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this example, students use properties of rational exponents and other algebraic concepts to compare and verify the relative size of two real numbers that involve decimal exponents.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The problem requires students to not only convert miles to kilometers and gallons to liters but they also have to deal with the added complication of finding the reciprocal at some point.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task asks students to calculate the cost of materials to make a penny, utilizing rates of grams of copper.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

There are many different ways to write exponential expressions that describe the same quantity, in this task the amount of a radioactive substance after t years. Depending on what aspect of the context we need to investigate, one expression of the quantity may be more useful than another. This task contrasts the usefulness of four equivalent expressions. Students first have to confirm that the given expressions for the radioactive substance are equivalent. Then they have to explain the significance of each expression in the context of the situation.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Students are asked to use units to determine if the given statement is valid.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This is a challenging task, suitable for extended work, and reaching into a deep understanding of units. Students are given a scenario and asked to determine the number of people required to complete the amount of work in the time described. The task requires students to exhibit , Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. An algebraic solution is possible but complicated; a numerical solution is both simpler and more sophisticated, requiring skilled use of units and quantitative reasoning. Thus the task aligns with either MAFS.912.A-CED.1.1 or MAFS.912.N-Q.1.1, depending on the approach.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Students manipulate a given equation to find specified information.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Students solve problems tracking the balance of a checking account used only to pay rent. This simple conceptual task focuses on what it means for a number to be a solution to an equation, rather than on the process of solving equations.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Students extrapolate the list price of a car given a total amount paid in states with different tax rates. The emphasis in this task is not on complex solution procedures. Rather, the progression of equations, from two that involve different values of the sales tax, to one that involves the sales tax as a parameter, is designed to foster the habit of looking for regularity in solution procedures, so that students don't approach every equation as a new problem but learn to notice familiar types.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this resource, students refer to given information which defines 5 variables in the context of real world government expenses. They are then asked to write equations based upon specific known values for some of the variables. The emphasis is on setting up, rather than solving, the equations.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this resource, a method of deriving the quadratic formula from a theoretical standpoint is demonstrated. This task is for instructional purposes only and builds on "Building an explicit quadratic function."

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task compares the usefulness of different forms of a quadratic expression. Students have to choose which form most easily provides information about the maximum value, the zeros and the vertical intercept of a quadratic expression in the context of a real world situation. Rather than just manipulating one form into the other, students can make sense out of the structure of the expressions.

(From Algebra: Form and Function, McCallum et al., Wiley 2010)

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to help students see manipulation of expressions as an activity undertaken for a purpose.

Variation 1 of this task presents a related more complex expression already in the correct form to answer the question.

The expression arises in physics as the reciprocal of the combined resistance of two resistors in parallel. However, the context is not explicitly considered here.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task illustrates the process of rearranging the terms of an expression to reveal different aspects about the quantity it represents, precisely the language being used in standard MAFS.912.A-SSE.2.3. Students are provided with an expression giving the temperature of a container at a time t, and have to use simple inequalities (e.g., that 2^t>0 for all t) to reduce the complexity of an expression to a form where bounds on the temperature of a container of ice cream are made apparent.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Students compare graphs of different quadratic functions, then produce equations of their own to satisfy given conditions.

This exploration can be done in class near the beginning of a unit on graphing parabolas. Students need to be familiar with intercepts, and need to know what the vertex is. It is effective after students have graphed parabolas in vertex form (y=a(x–h)²+k), but have not yet explored graphing other forms.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This resource poses the question, "how many vehicles might be involved in a traffic jam 12 miles long?"

This task, while involving relatively simple arithmetic, promps students to practice modeling (MP4), work with units and conversion (N-Q.1), and develop a new unit (N-Q.2). Students will also consider the appropriate level of accuracy to use in their conclusions (N-Q.3).

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to identify the structure in the two algebraic expressions by interpreting them in terms of a geometric context. Students will have likely seen this type of process before, so the principal source of challenge in this task is to encourage a multitude and variety of approaches, both in terms of the geometric argument and in terms of the algebraic manipulation.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The task is a modeling problem which ties in to financial decisions faced routinely by businesses, namely the balance between maintaining inventory and raising short-term capital for investment or re-investment in developing the business.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task provides students the opportunity to make use of units to find the gas needed (). It also requires them to make some sensible approximations (e.g., 2.92 gallons is not a good answer to part (a)) and to recognize that Felicia's situation requires her to round up. Various answers to (a) are possible, depending on how much students think is a safe amount for Felicia to have left in the tank when she arrives at the gas station. The key point is for them to explain their choices. This task provides an opportunity for students to practice MAFS.K12.MP.2.1: Reason abstractly and quantitatively, and MAFS.K12.MP.3.1: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this tutorial, students will use the SSS, ASA, SAS, and AAS postulates to find congruent triangles

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial, students will use a scale factor to dilate one line onto another.

Type: Tutorial

This tutorial discusses the difference between a theorem and axiom. It also shows how to use SSS in a proof.

Type: Tutorial

This tutorial discusses SSS, SAS, ASA and AAS postulates for congruent triangles. It also shows AAA is only good for similarity and SSA is good for neither.

Type: Tutorial

In this video, students will learn about congruent triangles and the "Side-Side-Side" postulate.

Type: Tutorial

Students will investigate symmetry by rotating polygons 180 degrees about their center.

Type: Tutorial

Students are shown, with an interactive tool, how to reflect a line segment. Students should have an understanding of slope and midpoint before viewing this video.

Type: Tutorial

This tutorial uses the midpoint of two lines to find the line of reflection.

Type: Tutorial

Students will see what happens when a figure is rotated about the origin -270 degrees. Having a foundation about right triangles is recommended before viewing this video.

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial, students are introduced to the concept that three non-collinear points are necessary to define a unique plane.

Type: Tutorial

Before learning any new concept it's important students learn and use common language and label concepts consistently. This tutorial introduces students to th point, line and plane.

Type: Tutorial

This tutorial is great practice for help in identifying parallel and perpendicular lines.

Type: Tutorial

In this tutorial we will learn the basics of geometry, such as identifying a line, ray, point, and segment.

Type: Tutorial

Learn how to evaluate an expression with variables using a technique called substitution (or "plugging in").

Type: Tutorial

Our focus here is understanding that a variable is just a letter or symbol (usually a lower case letter) that can represent different values in an expression. We got this. Just watch.

Type: Tutorial

This tutorial demonstrates how to use the power of a power property with both numerals and variables.

Type: Tutorial

This lecture shows how algebra is used to solve problems involving mixtures of solutions of different concentrations.

Type: Tutorial

Exponents are not only integers and unit fractions. An exponent can be any rational number expressed as the quotient of two integers.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Radical expressions can often be simplified by moving factors which are perfect roots out from under the radical sign.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Mixture problems can involve mixtures of things other than liquids. This video shows how Algebra can be used to solve problems involving mixtures of different types of items.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

When should a system of equations with multiple variables be used to solve an Algebra problem, instead of using a single equation with a single variable?

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

This video illustrates how to determine if the graphs of a given set of equations are parallel.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

This Khan Academy video tutorial introduces averages and algebra problems involving averages.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Using this resource, students can manipulate the measurements of a 3-D hourglass figure (double-napped cone) and its intersecting plane to see how the graph of a conic section changes.  Students will see the impact of changing the height and slant of the cone and the m and b values of the plane on the shape of the graph. Students can also rotate and re-size the cone and graph to view from different angles. 
 

Type: Virtual Manipulative

In this manipulative activity, you can first get an idea of what each of the rigid transformations look like, and then get to experiment with combinations of transformations in order to map a pre-image to its image.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

With this online Java applet, students use slider bars to move a cross section of a cone, cylinder, prism, or pyramid. This activity allows students to explore conic sections and the 3-dimensional shapes from which they are derived. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

In this activity, students use preset data or enter in their own data to be represented in a box plot. This activity allows students to explore single as well as side-by-side box plots of different data. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the Java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Using this virtual manipulative, students are able to graph a function and a set of ordered pairs on the same coordinate plane. The constants, coefficients, and exponents can be adjusted using slider bars, so the student can explore the affect on the graph as the function parameters are changed. Students can also examine the deviation of the data from the function. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

With this online tool, students adjust the standard deviation and sample size of a normal distribution to see how it will affect a histogram of that distribution. This activity allows students to explore the effect of changing the sample size in an experiment and the effect of changing the standard deviation of a normal distribution. Tabs at the top of the page provide access to supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

In this online tool, students input a function to create a graph where the constants, coefficients, and exponents can be adjusted by slider bars. This tool allows students to explore graphs of functions and how adjusting the numbers in the function affect the graph. Using tabs at the top of the page you can also access supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This is an online graphing utility that can be used to create box plots, bubble graphs, scatterplots, histograms, and stem-and-leaf plots.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This program allows users to explore spatial geometry in a dynamic and interactive way. The tool allows users to rotate, zoom out, zoom in, and translate a plethora of polyhedra. The program is able to compute topological and geometrical duals of each polyhedron. Geometrical operations include unfolding, plane sections, truncation, and stellation.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This virtual manipulative histogram tool can aid in analyzing the distribution of a dataset. It has 6 preset datasets and a function to add your own data for analysis.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

In this activity, students can create and view a histogram using existing data sets or original data entered. Students can adjust the interval size using a slider bar, and they can also adjust the other scales on the graph. This activity allows students to explore histograms as a way to represent data as well as the concepts of mean, standard deviation, and scale. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative