Browse lesson plans

Am I a square?

Students should discover how their height is related to their arm span. They will learn how to do spatial and visual estimation, use measuring tools, recognize factional parts of an inch, gather data, and organize and create a graph based on their findings.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Mathematics)

By Priscilla Hege.

Chocolate! Chocolate! Chocolate!

Using chocolate as a theme, students will become involved in reading, writing, math, word study/spelling and other developmentally appropriate (integrated) activities. The unit includes centers for the classroom along with whole group activities.

Format: lesson plan (grade K–1 English Language Arts and Mathematics)

By Luwonna Oakes.

Does one cup of everything weigh the same?

The student will predict whether one cup of everything weighs the same. Next, the student will estimate the mass of several cups of materials. Then, using a primer balance the student will find the actual mass of each cup of materials in grams. The students will order the cups from lightest to heaviest by mass.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Mathematics)

By Christy Bunch.

Mass of maize

Students will weigh different products made from corn to determine if a cup of each product has the same mass. Students will use measurement and estimation skills.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Mathematics)

By Julie Franklin.

Milk it for all it's worth

Students will cooperatively discover the equivalent measures of capacity. In addition, students will be given a unit price of milk and will be asked to calculate the price of other units of capacity based on the price given. They will then use this information to determine the most economical buy.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

By ann dawson.

Project Groundhog

The students will determine the groundhog prediction of either six more weeks of winter or an early spring and see if the prediction was accurate by recording daily weather data for six weeks. Over that six week period the students will be comparing their weekly data with schools around the USA and Canada using the Project Groundhog website.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Mathematics and Science)

By Jane Diamond.

Solid graphing

The students will review solid figures using a baggie of assorted snack mix (cones, cubes, cylinders, and spheres) and will begin a vertical bar graph showing the number of each solid figure in a bag of assorted snack mix.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

By Lisa Fletcher.

Soooooo tall!

Students will build a figure out of Legos. There are two groups, and each group is competing with the other. Students build their tower of Legos as high as they can and then measure with a ruler or yard stick. The tower has to be free-standing so the children have to think of ways to keep the tower standing by itself.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Mathematics)

By Beverly Rose.

Resources on the web

Estimating volume by counting on Frank

In this lesson, one of a five-part unit from Illuminations titled “Mathematics and Children's Literature,” students participate in activities in which they focus on connections between mathematics and children's literature. They listen to the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Pigging out

This Illuminations lesson plan, one of two lessons in the curriculum unit titled “A Tale of Two Stories,” is inspired by children's natural curiosity about fantasy and fairy tales and focuses on the process of classification, especially an awareness... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade )

Provided by: Illuminations

Water, water

Students compare the amount of water they use in daily life with the amount allotted for each person each day on a Space Shuttle. Then, they estimate and measure the weight of, and amount of space occupied by, a gallon of water. They collect, organize,... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations