This list offers good places to begin looking for individual middle school lesson plans or materials on which to base them. For more sites, see our page of middle school lesson plan collections, or browse or search the Forum's Internet Mathematics Library.

 Selected Middle-School Level Lessons

3-D Drawing and Geometry - Cathi Sanders

A Math Forum Summer 1998 Institute project that uses examples of paintings, architecture, etc. to analyze different types of 3-D drawings, and teaches students how to create them. Careers in 3-D drawing that use these techniques, from architecture to movies, are also illustrated. Types include isometric, oblique, and perspective drawings. A drawing project for students is outlined and submissions are invited. more>>

Adventures in Statistics - Scavo, Petraroja

A Web unit preprint of a paper by teachers Tom Scavo and Byron Petraroja that describes a mathematics project involving fifth grade students and the area of classrooms, including measurement, graphing, computation, data analysis, and presentation of results; to appear in "Teaching Children Mathematics." more>>

Algebra - Fun with Calendars - Cynthia Lanius

Take any calendar. Tell a friend to choose 4 days that form a square. If your friend tells you only the sum of the four days, you can tell her what the four days are. How does the puzzle work? Includes a extension page for designing your own puzzle, teachers notes, and links to calendar pages on the Web. Mathematics topics: assigning variables, solving simple linear equations, factoring. more>>

Algebraic Factoring - Suzanne Alejandre

A Math Forum Web Unit. Vocabulary, objectives, materials. Students use algebra tiles to explore algebraic factoring. more>>

The Area of a Circle - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

A one- or two-period lesson plan in which students use work sheets to cut circles into sectors, rearrange them, and derive the formula for the area of a circle. more>>

The Area of a Parallelogram - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

A one-period lesson plan in which students use work sheets to cut a parallelogram apart into trapezoids and explore the area of these polygons. more>>

Bricks Activity - Suzanne Alejandre

A classroom activity (also called the Masonry Problem; a variation on polyominoes) aligned to the NCTM and California Standards, to be explored through manipulatives (dominoes). Students explore different possibilities of making brick walls with and without fault lines, using diagram, process, and solution in their problem solving. A teacher lesson plan is provided. more>>

Chocolate Thematic Unit - Joel Patrick; Explorer

Provides a rationale for the thematic unit itself and a brief description of each component resource. Component unit resources span the mathematics, literature and geography curricula and are: "WWW Cocoa Math," "M & M Sort," "Hershey Fractions," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "M & M's Chocolate Counting Book," "Chocolate Bibliography," "Mapping Chocolate Factories," and "Chocolate Chip Math." Also lists select web sites which include related instructional resources on the subject of chocolate and ideas for using them in the classroom. PDF format. more>>

Classification of Patterns - Brown-Herbst, Donnelly, Stratton, Anderson-Nielsen; The Geometry Center

Materials about symmetry and classification of repeating patterns for students in grades 7-10 using wallpaper patterns, to be used as either an introduction or a review: a classroom-ready source of information. A final project created for Math 5337, Technology in the Geometry Classroom, at the Geometry Center, University of Minnesota. more>>

Combinatorics Topics for K-8 Teachers - Roger Day

Notes from fifteen sessions of a 1996 course for professional development. Includes a link to the home page for the course, where you can see problem sets, quizzes, tests, and the syllabus. Note topics include: Perfect Covers of Chess Boards, the Pigeonhole Principle, Summation and Product Notation, Combinations, Circular Permutations, Arranging Items When Repetition is Allowed, Pascal's Formula, Binomial and Multinomial Expansion, Pascal's Triangle, Number of Subsets of a Set, Fibonacci's Sequence in Pascal's Triangle, Solving sigma(i,1,n;a(i))=K Over Nonnegative Integers, Induction, Recursion, Finite Differences, the Inclusion/Exclusion Principle, and Derangements. more>>

Crystals: Crystallography & Systems - Suzanne Alejandre

A Math Forum Web Unit. Students studying polyhedra enjoy seeing the structures as they occur in the real world. Crystalline structures can be categorized into seven crystal systems: see photographs of beautiful crystals or make paper models of crystals by printing out nets of crystals and constructing the models. CrystalMaker software gives students experience with ball-and-stick, space-filling, wire-frame, stick, dot surface cloud, and polyhedral models of crystals. Also Java applets that show some of the major forms for the hexoctahedralclass (symmetry 4/m3bar2/m) of crystals; and links to Web sites about crystals. more>>

The Derivation of Pi - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

A lesson plan spanning two class periods in which students measure the diameter and circumference of each of the circular objects in the room, record their data on worksheets, and recognize the pattern that circumference divided by diameter is about 3.14159265358... (pi). more>>

Designs with Circles - Suzanne Alejandre

A Math Forum Web Unit. Includes some background on circles in Islamic cultures, and an activity exploring the geometry involved in some circle designs. more>>

Dominoes Activity - Suzanne Alejandre

A classroom activity (similar to Pentomino + 1 = Hexomino; a variation on polyominoes) aligned to the NCTM and California Standards, to be explored through manipulatives (paper dominoes). Students explore whether it is possible to cover a 6x5 grid with 15 dominoes, then build a variety of "brick walls" and create a brick wall catalogue. A simple freeware program (Macintosh only) by Kurt Kaufman can be used very easily to model this problem. Links to related pentomino and Fibonacci sites on the Web and a teacher lesson plan are provided. more>>

Dueling Pinwheels - A Geometer's Sketchpad Activity - Cynthia Lanius

Construction directions for rotations, translation, and reflection, with questions to explore and a demonstration sketch to download. more>>

EggMath - Bradlow, Sullivan, Levy, UIUC

A collection of modules (including many interactive applets) for K12 classrooms, based on the theme of eggs. Topics include: the shape of an egg (addressing symmetry and cross-section, surfaces of revolution, pin and string construction of ellipses, Cartesian and Cassini Ovals), the White/Yolk Theorem (how any two regions of the plane can be equally divided - a specific case of the Borsuk-Ulam Theorem, with a proof of the Theorem included), spherical geometry, and embryo calculus (exponential growth and the number e). Each module offers interactive Java components and additional references. Part of the Chickscope project at the Beckman Institute. more>>

Exploring Mathematics Through Quilts - Debbie Meyer

From The Apple Barrel Quilt Unit, a cross curriculum patchwork quilt unit that provides hands on math experiences. The Math & Quilts page lists activities/lessons that might be incorporated into a larger unit and includes a rough framework of ideas for such incorporations. more>>

Fractals - Cynthia Lanius

This lesson plan for exploring fractals is designed so 4th through 8th grade students can work independently and be assessed innovatively. Conforms to 1989 NCTM standards; links to other fractal sites. Contents: Why study fractals? Making fractals: Sierpinski Triangle, Sierpinski Meets Pascal, Jurassic Park Fractal, Koch Snowflake. Fractal Properties: Self-similarity, Fractional dimension, Formation by iteration. Teacher-to-Teacher notes; Fractals on the Web. more>>

Fractals: Definition & Activities - Suzanne Alejandre

A Math Forum Web Unit. Includes definitions and descriptions of fractals, links to pages on the Sierpinski triangle, the Koch edge, the Peano curve, the Lorenz attractor, and the Dragon curve; and more links to fractal sites on the Web. more>>

Games on Graphs (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

Students use algebraic methods to explore, model, and describe patterns and functions involving numbers, shapes, data, and graphs in problem-solving situations and communicate the reasoning used in solving these problems. Graphs, stories and games provide scenarios for games that student can play on graphs. Also Three for the Money: The Degree/Diameter Problem, an unsolved problem for students to work on, and other games that can help students increase the range of possibility for games that they can invent on graphs. Big Ideas and Key Concepts include pages on Graphs; Properties of mathematical objects; Modeling; and Abstraction. more>>

Geometric Factoring - Suzanne Alejandre

A Math Forum Web Unit. Understanding factoring through geometry: students work cooperatively to display a numeral as the area of a rectangle, and make as many rectangular arrangements as possible for each numeral given. more>>

The Golden Ratio - Blacker, Polanski, Schwach; The Geometry Center

Introduction to the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence. Instead of simply supplying definitions and asking the student to engage in mindless practice, students work through several activities to discover the applications of the Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence. With Geometer's Sketchpad activities. A final project created for Math 5337, Technology in the Geometry Classroom, at the Geometry Center, University of Minnesota. more>>

The Hand Squeeze: A Data Collection and Analysis Class Experiment - Cynthia Lanius

An experiment: measuring the amount of time that it takes for a hand squeeze to pass around a circle. Record, graph, and analyze the data, and make predictions about the time it would take for more people/greater distances. more>>

Hotel Infinity (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

Will a hotel with an infinite number of rooms always have a vacancy? Students develop number sense, use numbers and number relationships in problem-solving situations, and communicate the reasoning used in solving these problems. Key concepts include Infinity, Transfinite arithmetic, and One-to-one correspondence. more>>

The Hot Tub: Interpreting Graphs - Cynthia Lanius

Questions to answer about a graph... Notice the connection between the slope of the lines and the rate of change of the water depth. On what segments is the slope positive, and the water depth increasing? negative, and the water depth decreasing? On what segments is the slope 0, and the water depth is constant? more>>

How to Make a Spinner - Joanne Caniglia; Explorer

Includes easy to follow instructions with graphics for constructing a spinner to be used in lessons to reinforce the concept of fair and random results. Suggested activities for its use with young children and for lessons in probability are also included. HQX or PDF format. For a related activity using the spinner see the Explorer file entitled "Race to a Quarter." more>>

If Only Nice Weather Could Last Year Round - Evan Glazer

Students examine patterns and fluctuations in temperature data from cities around the United States, creating a model of the data to help predict the times during the year that these locations would be nice to visit. more>>

It All Adds Up - A MayaQuest '96 Lesson Plan

The Mayan mathematical system: base 20. Activities and discussion for primary and secondary grades, including converting from our base 10 to base 20, representing numbers in both systems and comparing length involved, and other discussion questions. more>>

Just a Usual Day at Unusual School (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

Students perform a play that takes place in a school where some of the students always lie and the rest always tell the truth. Terry, the protagonist, is trying to find out which students are which, but at the beginning, there is no way of knowing whom to believe. Can you figure out whom to believe in this play? With accompanying lesson plan and discussion questions. more>>

Locker Problem - Suzanne Alejandre

A classroom activity (also called 1000 Lockers) aligned to the NCTM and California Standards, to be explored through the use of manipulatives and a ClarisWorks spreadsheet. Students then look for patterns and write the answer algebraically. The problem: imagine you are at a school that still has student lockers. There are 1000 lockers, all shut and unlocked, and 1000 students. Suppose the first student goes along the row and opens every other locker. The second student then goes along and shuts every other locker beginning with number 2. The third student changes the state of every third locker beginning with number 3. (If the locker is open the student shuts it, and if the locker is closed the student opens it.) The fourth student changes the state of every fourth locker beginning with number 4. Imagine that this continues until the thousand students have followed the pattern with the thousand lockers. At the end, which lockers will be open and which will be closed? Why? A teacher lesson plan is provided. more>>

Machines That Eat Your Words (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

An introduction to the concept of finite state machines, and how they are used to design computer systems that will recognize patterns. A finite state machine is an imaginary (or abstract) machine that is used to study and design systems that recognize and identify patterns. The idea of a finite state machine is a powerful one that has many applications in computer science. Mathematics as Problem Solving, Mathematics as Communication, Mathematics as Reasoning, and Mathematical Connections are critical items throughout the NCTM Standards. They appear at every level because they form the core of what it means to do mathematics. more>>

Magic Squares: Math, History, Geography - Suzanne Alejandre

Designed primarily for middle school and older elementary school students, this Math Forum Web unit includes classroom activities for four different squares: Lo Shu, Sator, Dürer, and Franklin, three of them demonstrating increasing complexity using numbers, and one made up of letters, with number and symmetry questions and links and suggestions for history / geography / writing activities for teachers interested in interdisciplinary work. Includes directions for building magic squares, definitions, discussion of some special properties of magic squares, a Java applet, and links to other magic square Web sites. more>>

Math, Baseball, and the San Francisco Giants - Linda Uhrenholt; Pacific Bell Education First

By answering specific questions about travel expenses, food, tickets, etc., students determine the cost of attending a Giants' game, the time it would take to get there, etc. Guided questions and useful links to Internet resources are provided for 15 activities, with concluding problems such as itemizing your total expenses at the game, finding examples of math used in baseball not touched on in the activities, and writing your own definition of baseball. more>>

Mathematics of Cartography - Cynthia Lanius

A map is a set of points, lines, and areas all defined both by position with reference to a coordinate system and by non-spatial attributes. These pages discuss how maps are used, give examples of different kinds of maps, and cover map history and math topics - lines, points, areas, coordinates, etc., in particular scale, coordinate systems, and projection. Also Problems, Resources, Careers in mapmaking, Teachers' Notes, and References. more>>

Mighty M&M Math - Longstaff, Conklin

Ways to learn about fractions and percentages using M&M candies This activity can be varied to fit your purposes and class level. Students can work in pairs, recording their own data, and posting their information. It helps if students know how to calculate averages and percentages. more>>

The Million $ Mission - Cynthia Lanius

You have your choice of two payment options on your new job: 1. One cent on the first day, two cents on the second day, and double your salary every day thereafter for the thirty days; or 2. Exactly $1,000,000. (That's one million dollars!) What's the best choice? Includes pages on exponential growth and patterns, links to exponentials on the Web, questions, and teachers notes. more>>

The Most Colorful Math of All (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

Coloring is a profound mathematical topic with multi-million-dollar industrial applications. The problem presented here has been of interest to mathematicians for over a hundred years. With a few crayons or markers and some hand-drawn maps, children can quickly find themselves grappling with the four-color map problem. Activities, Background Information, Evaluation. more>>

Networks, Paths and Knots: Grades 4-6 (KQED/CELL) - Koistinen, LeBlanc; Math Online, KQED, San Francisco

The Classroom Mailroom. Students build an understanding of networks, paths and knots through movement and charting activities, beginning by playing The "Knot of Humanity" game and then viewing the MathVantage ITV program, Networks, Paths and Knots. They each create a classroom mail route, test it, and link their network knowledge with a related activity in topology: map coloring. more>>

New Ideas about Knots - Nancy Casey

Things Nancy Casey discovered after writing the basic MegaMath information about knots. Topics include: Tangled up pictures of tangled up ropes; Knot coloring puzzles; Knots and counting; Pretzel knots. more>>

No Matter What Shape Your Fractions Are In - Cynthia Lanius

Students explore geometric models of fractions and discover relations among them, reinforcing their knowledge of fractions by using online pattern block activities. The lessons are designed for students to work independently or with guidance from the teacher. Lessons should be printed so students can draw and color the appropriate shapes. Teachers notes are included. more>>

Pascal's Triangle - Math Forum/USI

A Web unit designed to support workshops given by the Math Forum for the Urban Systemic Initiative (Philadephia and San Diego). Read about the history of Pascal's triangle and learn to construct it; view illustrations of number patterns to be discovered; carry out interactive investigations in Java script or the Geometer's Sketchpad, and explore this famous triangle through lesson plans that feature questions, answers, discussion, and student worksheets. more>>

PlaneMath - InfoUse, in cooperation with NASA

Materials for elementary school students about math and aeronautics, designed to stimulate and motivate students with physical disabilities in grades 4-7 to pursue aeronautics-related careers via the development and delivery of accessible math education materials on the Internet. Recognizing that math curricula for students in these grades is most often built around the manipulation of tools such as pencils, compasses, and rulers, the designers of this site have endeavored to teach the same concepts without relying on the physical acuity of the student. Activities involve finding the shortest path between two cities or how many people can board your plane, flying a herd of buffalo to the prairies, learning to fly a rescue helicopter and how planes lift, knowing when an overcast sky is really overcast, flying a kite, and planning a flight around the country. Teachers are invited to register their classes. more>>

Polyhedra in the Classroom - Suzanne Alejandre

Middle School student activities to pursue with a computer in the classroom. Introduction to Polyhedra; paper nets to print out and fold; Kaleidotile; Buckyballs; Crystals (paper nets, systems); Cube coloring problems; links to polyhedra on the Web. more>>

Probability Project: Take a Chance - Gwenn Holtz, Mary Lee Malen; The Levering School, Philadelphia, PA

A lesson plan for grades 5-8, involving hands-on, inquiry based activities on probability: penny toss, die tossing, 4-colored spinners, etc., charting the data gathered. The site includes pictures and quick-time movies of a 6-7th grade class doing the project, and student projects. more>>

Rectangle Pattern Challenges - Cynthia Lanius

Examine different stges of rectangle patterns, and describe what you must do to get from one to the next. Observe the designs looking for patterns. Use the symmetry of the design to help you count. Organize your information into a table. On square grid paper create your own design, showing at least 3 stages. It must have at least two lines of symmetry, and it must follow a regular numerical growth pattern. On a separate sheet of paper, fill in the calculations in a table like the one shown. Teachers notes are included. more>>

The Right Time: An Investigation of a Clock's Angles - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

A two-period lesson plan in which students think through the process of determining how many times in a 24 hour period the hands of a clock will form a right angle, drawing from a variety of problem-solving methods to solve the problem. They may wish to use a spreadsheet. more>>

River Crossing (Math Exploration Quilt) - Rik Littlefield; Hanford School

You want to cross a river to reach a point exactly opposite where you are currently standing. Explore this problem step-by-step, encountering the following basic ideas: 1) Pythagorean theorem; 2) time = distance / speed; 3) distance = time * speed; 4) sums and differences of distances; and 5) the arcsine function for right triangles (which we didn't really need to solve the problem, just to get the angle expressed in a familiar way). more>>

Scaling: Grades 7-10 (KQED/CELL) - Koistinen, LeBlanc; Math Online, KQED, San Francisco

In this lesson, students gain an understanding of the concept of similarity as it applies to geometric shapes and solids, and extend their understanding to other similar objects. They are introduced to the concept of scaling, and ratio and proportion, and how it applies in many industries. more>>

Soma Cube Central - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

Students review the concepts of solid geometry, then try to determine all of the ways that they can join no more than four cubes at their faces in an irregular manner. The seven ways that one can join four or fewer cubes in an irregular manner make up the pieces of the Soma Cube. After the students discover the seven ways, they actually create Soma Cubes in class, exploring geometric figures including cubes using the seven pieces, recording their solutions, and trying to create their own puzzles. more>>

Stressed Out: Slope as Rate of Change - Cynthia Lanius

It's the night of the big game. You're in the locker room. The coach is pumping the team up. "Now, I know you people are nervous. That's okay, in fact, that's what we want. You're going to perform better on the court (stage) if you're a little nervous." Does the graph shown confirm what the coach told you? Write a statement that describes performance as stress increases... This lesson introduces basic knowledge and skills important to a study of functions in algebra and lays the groundwork for calculus. more>>

Studying Polyhedra - Suzanne Alejandre

What is a polyhedron? A definition and a Java applet to help in exploring the five regular polyhedra to find how many faces and vertices each has, and what polygons make up the faces. Also links to a page of information about buckyballs, stories written by students after studying polyhedra, other sites with information about regular polyhedra, and other sites with information about Greece and Greek mathematicians. more>>

Survey Results 1999: LITES Data Collection Unit - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

Students use scientific methodologies to analyze information about the characteristics and preferences of the students in their class to make predictions about the students in the other classes. After finishing the research on the students in their own school, they use data gathered from classes in online partner schools to conduct similar analyses, and draw conclusions related to the geographic locations of those schools. Five phases are provided, with links to sites on the Web for more ideas. more>>

Table-Top Earthquakes - John C. Lahr

A demonstration of seismology for middle-school teachers and students that can be used to augment lessons in earth science (faulting, elastic rebound, plate motions), physics (forms of energy, elasticity, friction, magnetism, waves), math (graphing, logarithms, probability), social studies (hazard mitigation), and geography (global distribution of earthquakes). more>>

Taking Stock - Donlan, Post, Christman; Happy Valley School District, Santa Cruz, CA

A multi-grade project focusing on the stock market with participants in grades 5 through 12 from California to New York to Florida, including up to 50 schools per session (fall or spring) across the country. The integrated thematic project begins with 6 activities and worksheets available for downloading from the site: Understanding the Stock Page; Fractions of a Dollar; Stock Symbols; Profit and Loss; Corporate Research; and Persuasive Letters. more>>

Tangrams - Tom Scavo

Tangrams, a puzzle that helps develop spatial-visualization skills, may also be used to introduce or reinforce geometric concepts such as congruence, similarity, symmetry, etc. This unit for grades 4 through 6 uses tangrams to compute the area of polygons  without formulas, introducing the terms congruent and similar. Contents: Constructing Your Own Set of Tangrams; The Area of Tangram Pieces; More Tangram Activities. Links to other tangram resources on the Web are also provided. more>>

Tell Time with your Feet - Susan Addington; Mathematics Dept., Calstate-San Bernardino

"A feet-on math lesson for K-8 students." Find the latitude and longitude of your location and times of sunset and sunrise using a table from the Web; using a shadow table (also on the Web) measure your shadow by pacing it off with your feet and find the time of day. Other classroom extension activities are suggested. more>>

Tessellation Tutorials - Suzanne Alejandre

A series of tutorials that teach students how to tessellate (somewhat in the style of the art of M.C. Escher) using HyperCard for black and white and/or HyperStudio for color, ClarisWorks, LogoWriter, templates, or simple straightedge and compass. The tessellation lessons include units incorporating rotations and glide reflections, a section called "Where's the Math" that elaborates on some underlying geometric principles, comments contributed by others, and samples of student work. more>>

Three for the Money: The Degree/Diameter Problem (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

Students can understand and work on an unsolved problem in mathematics. There is a good chance that this problem can be solved by someone who spends enough time experimenting with it. The only skills required to work on it are the ability to draw dots and connect them with lines, and the understanding of four ideas related to graphs: degree, diameter, planarity, and size. With ideas for discussion. more>>

Tour of Symmetry Groups - Lori Thomson; The Geometry Center

A Web unit that covers Types of Symmetry (Translation, Reflection, Glide Reflection, Halfturn, Combinations); Symmetry in Frieze Groups (Patterns, Groups, Lengthwise and Crosswise Symmetry); Using Kali to Explore Frieze Groups (with beginning and advanced exercises and pattern galleries); and Symmetry in Wallpaper Groups. more>>

Traffic Jam Activity - Suzanne Alejandre

A classroom activity (also called Hop, Skip, Jump) aligned to the NCTM and California Standards, to be explored through large movement experience, manipulatives, and an interactive Java applet. Students then revisit the activity, look for patterns, and write the answer algebraically. The activity: there are seven stepping stones and six people. On the three lefthand stones, facing the center, stand three of the people. The other three people stand on the three righthand stones, also facing the center. The center stone is not occupied. Everyone must move so that the people originally standing on the righthand stepping stones are on the lefthand stones, and those originally standing on the lefthand stepping stones are on the righthand stones, with the center stone again unoccupied. A teacher lesson plan is provided. more>>

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Judy Brown

A lesson in which students find the number of items given each day in the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas." This project is designed to be used as a warmup activity during the 12 days preceding Christmas. more>>

The Twelve Days of Christmas and Pascal's Triangle - Judy Brown

A lesson in which, using Pascal's triangle, students find the number of items given each day in the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas." more>>

Untangling the Mathematics of Knots (MegaMath) - Nancy Casey; Los Alamos National Laboratory

Fundamentals of knot theory for a wide range of levels - a variety of activities for exploring knots made from pieces of rope. Students can make and verify observations about knots, classify them, combine them, and find ways to determine if two knots are alike. The activities outlined here can be combined to form a single lesson about mathematical knots, or a larger investigative unit that extends over a longer period of time. Key concepts include knot theory, topology, operations, and proof. more>>

Weather Here and There - Foster, Walton, Foertsch

An integrated weather unit that incorporates interaction with the Internet and hands-on collaborative problem-solving activities for students in grades four through six. Lessons integrate math, science, geography, and language arts in the process of teaching and learning about weather phenomena. Students become involved in collaborative problem solving using e-mail as well as through joining projects offered via the Internet. The first three lessons focus on learning basic meteorological concepts about weather elements, how to take measurements using appropriate weather instruments, and recognizing basic weather trends and patterns. The last three lessons focus on studying weather maps and applying the knowledge and experience about weather to associate weather trends and patterns in the process of making accurate forecasts. The unit culminates with a weather broadcast of a twenty-four hour forecast presented by students and focusing on a network of weather stations in the United States created by the students. Includes links to Illinois Standards and a Bibliography. more>>

WebJourney - Jon Basden, Highland Middle School

Using the Internet to plan the amount of time, money and effort involved in going on a trip around the U.S. A lesson plan and sample journey are included, as well as detailed instructions for students. more>>

Where Have All the People Gone? Grades 7-9 (KQED/CELL) - Koistinen, LeBlanc; Math Online, KQED, San Francisco

In this lesson, students are introduced to the concept of data collection, analysis, and presentation. They visit the U.S. Census Bureau on the Web to collect data on regional populations from 1900-1990; and present their findings in both oral and written form. Using the topic of population and population changes, this lesson is easily expandable to an integrated lesson with Social Studies and Language Arts and a Core Integrated Program. more>>

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