Mathematics — Grade 6

Camp Earth Bound: Problem Solving and Finding for Fun

Students will work together in small groups of four to six students to solve the following word problems. Their solutions will require them to practice interview techniques and create a database and/or spreadsheet of their results. This information will be the basis of the answers to the following eight word problems. Skills such as area, cost, calorie count, ratio, percentage and scale, as well as persuasive writing will be applied.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts and Mathematics)

By Jamie Hulse.

Coordinate Plane Artwork

For this lesson students will go to the computer lab and use the General Coordinate Game applet created by the Shodor Foundation to obtain a more specific understanding of the coordinate plane, its parts, and how it can be used to graph points. Afterwards, the students will practice using the coordinate plane by drawing a picture on a coordinate plane and then writing out directions (using coordinates) for that picture to be replicated exactly by another student, who will not see the picture but will follow the directions.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Erin Foerster.

Geometry: Area Project

Students will familiarize themselves with area formulas by completing a hands-on area project.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Kim Brinson.

Human Coordinate Graph

Students will actively learn how to plot ordered pairs on a coordinate plane. They will also learn how to connect ordered pairs to graph a picture.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 and 6 Mathematics)

By Cheryl Sexton.

Looking At Things From Different Angles

This lesson will introduce students to angles using a resource of Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. Permission has been granted for the use of the materials as part of the workshop "Interactivate Your Bored Math Students."

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Beth Jorgensen.

Modeling Volume

This activity helps the students see how the volume of something includes the third dimension (width or depth) which is different from area. This activity also helps the students "prove" that the volume formula actually works. Students will already know that the volume of a rectangular prism is found by multiplying the object's length, width, and height. By using the blocks as models of volume, the students should come to realize that volume can be calculated simply by multiplying the area of the base by the height of the rectangular prism. Thus, they will come to realize that there is no need to try and fill the entire box with the tiny 1cm cubes, they can simply fill the bottom (to see how many cubes are there) and figure out how many rows there will be and multiply.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Erin Foerster.

Perimeter and Area Around the North Carolina Zoo

Students learn about perimeter, area and scale drawings of various geometric shapes. As they learn they apply their knowledge to different animal enclosures at the North Carolina Zoo. To gather information about design of animal enclosures the classes visit the zoo. The students then compile all they learned by creating a scaled drawing and model of an human habitation exhibit for a zoo.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Susan Hoercher.

Translations, Reflections, Rotations

This lesson will allow students to explore translations, reflections, and rotations using a resource of Shodor Education Foundation, Inc. Permission has been granted for the use of the materials as part of the workshop Interactivate Your Math Students. Students explore the world of translations, reflections, and rotations in the Cartesian coordinate system by transforming squares, triangles and parallelograms. Parameters: Shape, x or y translation, x or y reflection, angle of rotation. (Italics are a direct quote from Shodor.org.)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

By Deborah Bourne.

A Walk Through the Solar System

A practice in scientific notation, measurement, and scale distances, this lesson plan integrates mathematics into the science curriculum.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics and Science)

By RhondaS Dausman.

Lesson plans on the web

Another view

Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Are they possible?

In this lesson, students examine the method used by Dutch artist M.C. Escher to create isometric drawings that seem to be impossible. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Blue squares and beyond

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students manipulate two rectangles to create examples of similarity and to study the effects on area ratios. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Building a box

This Illuminations lesson uses a real-world situation to help develop students' spatial visualization skills and geometric understanding. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Building a shape

Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Building from the front-right-top views

Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Burning questions

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students use information from a quiz, along with what they learned in the previous four lessons, to write a summary and finalize a property sketch demonstrating their understanding of wildfires. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Covering the Plane with Rep-Tiles

Students discover and explore a special kind of tiling of the plane. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–7 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Creating A firewise defensible space

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students learn about creating defensible space around a home using a series of fire protection zones. Students then draw the zones that surround a house and estimate the area of each zone. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Do they match?

Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Do they match?

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students use three dimensional figures they have constructed to determine when two isometric drawings can represent the same shape. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Mathematics)

Provider: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics