Browse lesson plans

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.

Spin away

Children will work in groups using spinners with 4 colors to make predictions about probability, gather and record data, and make conclusions about outcome.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 7 Mathematics)

By Gloria Wilson.

Submarines: Using mass, volume and density to create a working submarine

The students will design a submarine that will float, subsurface, sink, and return once again to the water's surface by external manipulation of the submarine outside of an aquarium. In order to accomplish this, the students will use not only the concepts of mass, volume, and density but will also integrate buoyancy and ballast in their submarine design.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Mathematics and Science)

By Amy Koonce.

Resources on the web

Beverage sharing and serving

Students determine, using a nonstandard cup or plastic drinking container, the minimum amount of fruit drink needed to serve class members. Illuminations provides an activity sheet and detailed instructions for completing the lesson. Students will:... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

Comparison estimator

This activity allows the user to compare two quantities (which may be the number of objects in each of two sets, the lengths of two curves, or the area of two shapes) by estimating. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade K–12 Mathematics)

Provided by: Shodor

Competing coasters

Students look at attributes that vary from roller coaster to roller coaster. Illuminations provides an activity sheets and detailed instructions for completing the lesson. After students have discussed their roller coaster experiences, they compare and... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

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

Estimator

This activity allows users to practice estimation skills by attempting to determine the number of individual objects shown, estimating the length of a curve based upon a given scale or estimating the area of a shape also based upon a given scale. (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade K–12 Mathematics)

Provided by: Shodor

Estimator Four

This activity allows two users to play a game of estimation where each player tries to connect four game pieces in a row before his or her opponent does. The players earn game pieces by accurately estimating the answers to various problems. Users can choose... (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 3–12 Mathematics)

Provided by: Shodor

Every breath you take

Using the number of breaths taken during a specified time period as the context for this exploration, students estimate, experiment, and display real-life data. Illuminations provides detailed instructions and an activity sheet necessary for completing... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Mathematics)

Provided by: Illuminations

More or less estimator

This activity allows the user to estimate quantities and sizes including the number of objects in a set, the lengths of a curve, and the area of a shape (Learn more)

Format: activity/lesson plan (grade K–12 Mathematics)

Provided by: Shodor

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