ALEX Lesson Plans

Thinkfinity Lesson Plans

Subject: Health,Mathematics
Title: Make a Conjecture Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students explore rates of change and accumulation in context. They are asked to think about the mathematics involved in determining the amount of blood being pumped by a heart.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Linear Alignment Add Bookmark
Description: In this Illuminations lesson, students explore linear equations and the effects of changing the slope and y-intercept on a line. It gives students exposure to y = mx + b, and can be used as an introduction to the topic. Using graphing calculators, students are challenged to overlap lines onto the sides of polygons. To achieve this goal, students change slopes and y-intercepts of lines, noting observations about behavior as they work. As students change the y-intercept of a line, they see it raise or lower the line. As students change the slope, they see it affect the steepness of the line.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 6,7,8,9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics,Professional Development
Title: Building Bridges Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, from Illuminations, students attempt to make a transition from arithmetical to algebraic thinking by extending from problems that have single-solution responses. Values organized into tables and graphs are used to move toward symbolic representations. Problem situations involving linear, quadratic, and exponential models are employed.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Automobile Mileage: Comparing and Contrasting Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students compare and contrast their findings from previous lessons of the unit. This lesson allows students the time they need to think about and discuss what they have done in the previous lessons. This lesson provides the teacher with another opportunity to listen to student discourse and assess student understanding.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Exploring Linear Data Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, from Illuminations, students model linear data in a variety of settings. Students can work alone or in small groups to construct scatterplots, interpret data points and trends, and investigate the notion of line of best fit.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 6,7,8,9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: The Effects of Outliers Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, provides students with the opportunity to investigate the relationship between a set of data points and a curve used to fit the data points, using a computer-based interactive tool. Using the Regression Line Applet, students investigate the effect of outliers on a regression line and easily see their significance.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Tube Viewer Simulation Add Bookmark
Description: This student interactive, from Illuminations, simulates the effect of viewing an image through a tube. As students move the location of the person or change the length of the tube, the image and measurements also change.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Bathtub Water Levels Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students examine real-life data that illustrates a negative slope. Students interpret the meaning of the negative slope and y-intercept of the graph of the real-life data. By examining the graphical representation of the data, students relate the slope and y-intercept of the least squares regression line to the real-life data. They also interpret the correlation coefficient of the least squares regression line. This lesson incorporates an interactive regression line applet.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Apple Pie Recording Chart Add Bookmark
Description: This reproducible activity sheet, from an Illuminations lesson, prompts students to use strings and rulers to measure and record the distance around several round objects, as well as the distance across the middle of those objects.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Subject: Mathematics
Title: What's the Function? Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson allows students to look for functions within a given set of data. After analyzing the data, students should be able to determine what type of function best represents the data. Then, students use regression on a calculator to determine the function that provides the best fit.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Graph Chart Add Bookmark
Description: This reproducible transparency, from an Illuminations lesson, contains the answers to the similarly named student activity in which students identify the independent and dependent variables, the function, symbolic function rule and rationale for a set of graphs.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: The Centroid and the Regression Line Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, provides students with the opportunity to investigate the relationship between a set of data points and a curve used to fit the data points, using a computer-based interactive tool. Using the Regression Line Applet, students investigate the centroid of a data set and its significance for the line fitted to the data.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Shrinking Candles, Running Water, Folding Boxes Add Bookmark
Description: This lesson, from Illuminations, allows students to look for functions within a given set of data. After analyzing the data, the students should be able to determine the type of function that represents the data.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Automobile Mileage: Age vs. Mileage Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students plot data about automobile mileage and interpret the meaning of the slope and y-intercept of the least squares regression line. By examining the graphical representation of the data, students analyze the meaning of the slope and y-intercept of the line and put those meanings in the context of the real-life application. This lesson incorporates an interactive regression line applet.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12

Subject: Mathematics,Science
Title: Finding Our Top Speed Add Bookmark
Description: This Illuminations lesson sets the stage for a discussion of travel in the solar system. By considering a real-world, hands-on activity, students develop their understanding of time and distance. The mathematics necessary for the lesson relate to measuring time and distance as well as graphing to portray the data collected.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 6,7,8

Subject: Mathematics
Title: Gallery Walk Add Bookmark
Description: In this lesson, one of a multi-part unit from Illuminations, students view the work of other students in the class and explain their own work. Students move from graph to graph during this time and, without any talking, view the work of their classmates. While on their Gallery Walk, the students think about the data their classmates plotted and whether or not the information accompanying each graph seems appropriate. Each pair of students then stands next to their own work and explains one of the graphs.
Thinkfinity Partner: Illuminations
Grade Span: 9,10,11,12