Lessons
Lessons in Units
CCSS Units
Text Me Later
How dangerous is texting and driving? Students use proportional reasoning to determine how far a car travels in the time it takes to text. Students discuss the dangers of distracted driving and generate strategies for helping drivers and passengers stay safe.
Pyramid of Sleaza
How can you make money in a pyramid scheme? Students learn about how pyramid schemes work (and how they fail), and use geometric sequences to model the exponential growth of a pyramid scheme over time.
Not So Fast
How should speeding tickets be calculated? Students use linear equations to explore how police officers determine speeding fines...and whether tickets are calculated fairly.
New Twenty
How does life expectancy affect how you live your life? Students use proportions to determine what life expectancy must have been in the past in order for the phrase "30 is the new 20" to be accurate, and explore how life might change as life expectancy changes.
Leonardo Numbers
Are there numbers hidden in nature? Students use the Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Ratio to uncover the mathematical mysteries of the universe.
Hi, BMI
What's a healthy weight? Students evaluate the Body Mass Index (BMI) formula for several celebrities, and discuss whether BMI is always a good measure of health.
Frame Rate
How do filmmakers create slow-motion and time-lapse videos? Students combine a camera's frame rate, a video player's frame rate, and proportional reasoning to explore movie magic.
Carpe Donut
How much should people pay for donuts? Students use linear, rational, and piecewise functions to describe the total and average costs of an order at Carpe Donut.
Cheese That Goes Crunch
Which is better: crunchy or puffy Cheetos? Students calculate the surface area : volume ratio for each snack to determine which one tastes cheesier.
Calories In, Calories Out
How many calories does a body burn? Students interpret and apply the formula for resting metabolic rate (RMR) in order to learn about how calories consumed from food, calories burned from exercise, and calories burned automatically contribute to a body's weight.
Basketball IQ
In basketball, which shot should you take? Students use probability and expected value to determine how much 3-point and 2-point shots are really "worth" to different NBA players.
Are We Alone?
What are the chances that we'll communicate with aliens? Students use fraction multiplication to explore the Drake Equation, the formula astronomers use to estimate the number of intelligent civilizations with whom we might communicate.
New-Tritional Info
Should fast food restaurants rewrite their menus in terms of exercise? Students write and evaluate expressions to determine how long it takes to burn off foods from McDonald’s and debate the pros and cons of including this information on fast food menus.