Mathematics — Grade 6

Water, water everywhere...

This is a good beginning of the year lesson to review fractions, decimals, geometry (the number of degrees in a circle and drawing a circle with a protractor), graphing, and metric measurement. This lesson is a good way for students to meet their peers while working cooperatively in a task-oriented group. The watermelon you will be using for the activity is also a good start-of-the-year treat. Be sure to get an extra watermelon or two to share at the end of the activity.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Jayne Brown.

Statistics project

Students collect numeric and non-numeric data. They are then expected to use the data collected to construct different types of graphs as well as finding central tendencies.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–8 Mathematics)

By Audrea Saunders.

See how they run!: The 100 meter dash

Middle level students will collect times as they run the 100 meter dash. These times will be depicted through various graphic representations (bar, circle, histogram). Times will be compared to current world records for the 100 meters. Students will decide which Math class ran fastest and support that choice in short essay form. They will also try to determine the faster gender based on the data collected.

This lesson plan is a unit filled with related lesson plans. One or two parts of this project could be completed as a stand-alone lesson, or the entire set of activities and extensions could be completed for an involved, integrated unit.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

By Holly Smith.

Popcorn math

In this lesson students will use a consumable manipulative to understand percent, fraction and decimal conversions. They will also collect data on a teacher produced spreadsheet while using a computer generated spreadsheet to make conversions.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

Pizza anyone?

Students survey their class and analyze data about favorite pizza toppings. This activity is meant to be fun and engaging, with the class participating and making decisions as a whole.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Jack Hunter.

Leap frogs tend toward the center?

Students learn the meanings of the central tendency concepts range, mean, median, and mode. They will make origami frogs, jump them across a track and record the length of their jumps and the total number of jumps across trials.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Erin Foerster.

Integrated unit on South America

This lesson includes information concerning database operations, word processing, desktop publishing, and spreadsheet formatting. Students will solve math problems.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Computer/Technology Skills, English Language Development, Mathematics, and Social Studies)

By DPI Integration Strategies.

Gridding a site

In Intrigue of the Past, page 2.2

In their study of how to grid a site, students will use a map and the Cartesian coordinate system to establish a grid system over an archaeological site, labeling each grid unit; determine the location of artifacts within each grid unit; and construct a scientific inquiry concerning the location of artifacts on the site.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Mathematics and Social Studies)

Flying saucers: Circles

Students will apply what they have learned about circles and finding averages with this lesson. This lesson should be broken up into 3 class periods of an hour for each class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Mathematics)

By Amy Romagnuolo.

Exploring probability: Part 2 of 2

This lesson will introduce students to the concept of fairness as it relates to probability following Part 1 of this lesson which introduces the concept and procedure for calculating probability. Both of these lessons use the resources 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. Students will define fairness and determine if a game is fair.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Wendy Korbusieski.

Exploring probability : Part 1 of 2

This lesson will introduce students to probability using resources 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. Students will discover the rule for calculating simple probability as well as explore the ideas of experimental and theoretical probability.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 Mathematics)

By Wendy Korbusieski.

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 Mathematics)

ACC basketball

The students will use ACC basketball statistics to practice the process of converting fractions to decimals then to percents and will learn how to create and edit a spreadsheet. They will then use this spreadsheet to analyze their data. This unit is done during the basketball season.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

By Susan Dougherty.

Resources on the web

Wrapping it up

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students finalize their work collecting data, identifying patterns, and making predictions about the game of Paper Pool. They then write a report that summarizes all of their findings. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Which pocket?

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students continue their investigation of the Paper Pool game by discovering a rule to predict the pocket in which the ball will land. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

What's in a graph?

Students learn how to use and interpret graphs. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics and Science)

Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Sticks and stones

In this Illuminations lesson, students play “Sticks and Stones,” a game based on the Apache game “Throw Sticks,” which was played at multi-nation celebrations. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

State names

In this Illuminations lesson, students use multiple representations to analyze the frequency of letters that occur in the names of all 50 states. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Spinning tops

In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students participate in games and activities that develop concepts of measurement and statistics. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Magic Squares

This lesson, from Illuminations, explores magic squares from both a historical and mathematical perspective. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Mathematics)

Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics