LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Additional related resources

We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.

General resources

Aligned lesson plans

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.
Problem-centered lesson on the Pythagorean Theorem
This lesson is designed to help students give meaning to solving problems using the Pythagorean Theorem in a useful and meaningful situation.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Mathematics)
By Brent Bustle.
Mirror, mirror on the ground!
In this lesson, students will use their knowledge of similar triangles and indirect measurement to measure the heights of various objects.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Mathematics)
By Denise Corbett.
Measuring pots
In Intrigue of the Past, page 2.7
Students will use an activity sheet or modern pottery rim sherds to compute circumference from a section of a circle and construct analogies based on their own experience about possible functions of ancient or historic ceramics.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Mathematics and Social Studies)
Language families
In Intrigue of the Past, page 4.7
Students will identify and locate the three language families of contact period North Carolina and calculate the physical area covered by each language family.
Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 Mathematics and Social Studies)
Giving meaning to volume and surface area
This lesson is designed to help students give meaning to volume and surface area by solving problems using a meaningful situation rather than formulas.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Mathematics)
By Grayson Wheatley.
Fire in Pythagorville: Problem-centered lessons
Students will work on problem-centered lessons which use the application of the Pythagorean theorem to put out a fire in the fictional town of Pythagorville.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Mathematics)
By Kelly Crisp.
Dear Tootsie Roll company
The students will measure the surface area and wrapper area of five pieces of candy. Using appropriate formulas and measuring techniques, they will complete information needed for a spreadsheet and database. Students wrap up the lesson by writing a letter to the company with the most wasted paper to explain how the waste affects them as consumers and a suggestion for correcting the problem.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Mathematics)
By Tonya Thompson.
Building a paper bridge: An introduction to problem solving
This activity allows the student to explore problem solving strategies while working with a partner. This activity (building a paper bridge), requires students to question word definition and the application of those definitions. Through problem solving strategies, students discover the need for applying math skills.
Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Mathematics)
By Steve Walston.
Area of solids
Finding area of rectangular solids and cylinders by cutting them into flat pieces and adding the areas.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7–12 Mathematics)
By Dorothy Carawan.

Resources on the web

When is a cube not a cube?
Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Understanding congruence, similarity, and symmetry using transformations and interactive figures: Visualizing transformations
The interactive figures in this four-part example allow a user to manipulate a shape and observe its behavior under a particular transformation or composition of transformations. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Some “Escher” drawings
Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Purple Prisms
In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students investigate rectangular prisms using an online, interactive applet. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Polygon capture: A geometry game
In this lesson, from Illuminations, students classify polygons according to more than one property at a time. They move from a simple description of shapes to an analysis of how properties are related, all in the context of an enjoyable game. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
The plus sign and triangle
In this lesson, students explore the concepts of identity, inverse, commutativity, and associativity. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Patterns and functions
In this lesson, students investigate properties of perimeter, area, and volume related to various geometric two- and three-dimensional shapes. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Moving cubes
Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Mat Plans
Students explore polyhedra using different representations and perspectives for three dimensional block figures. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Learning about length, perimeter, area, and volume of similar objects using interactive figures: Side length and area of similar figures
This two-part example illustrates how students can learn about the length, perimeter, area, and volume of similar objects using dynamic figures. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–8 Mathematics)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics