Resource Library

Students will examine data about garbage production and graphically represent it in a scatter plot. Students will use the data to make predictions of future trends. They will also develop an understanding of the environmental impact of trash accumulation and the need for a plan to deal with potential garbage problems. The activity is written for use with a graphing calculator.

Fractals are found extensively in nature, from tiny snowflakes to towering mountains. Because of this, fractal geometry has many practical applications. Geologists can model the meandering paths of rivers. Botanists can model the branching patterns of trees. In this activity, students will investigate fractals, learn how fractals can be used to determine the length of a coastline and explore the expression of mathematical principles in art.

In this lesson, students will learn about boundaries as they apply to matters of pollution, disease, and conflict within the continent of Asia, between Asian nations, and between Asian nations and members of the international community.

Explore the history of the Fibonacci sequence and its applications.  Examine how the sequence is expressed in pine cones, flower petals, cauliflower, and apples.

This activity is correlated to National Mathematics content standards.

These lesson plans explore the use of matrices and graphing calculators to solve a linear programming problem with six variables, presented as community land use planning issue. The lesson plans include lead-up assignments where students relate the solvability of a system of linear equations to the invertibility of the coefficient matrix.

Although fire is a natural part of many ecosystems, this lesson plan focuses on the causes of wildland fire and the amount of acres burned. The lesson plan presents statistics from one wildfire season. Students examine the data and discuss what information it conveys. Students then determine the best way to graph the data for presentation.

In this lesson plan students become dendrochronologists - tree ring scientists. The lesson introduces Methuselah, an ancient bristlecone pine that has lived more than 4,600 years.

In this lesson, students analyze the chemical concentrations in ice core field data from the U.S.

Plant growth rates are influenced by many factors including rainfall, climate, soil nutrients, and others. In this activity, students will develop a mathematical model for a growing plant.

This activity is correlated to National Mathematics content standards.

This lesson examines temperature data over ten years.  Students use a statistical analysis technique, the moving average, to search for meaningful trends in the raw temperature data.