Don't stuff money under your mattress. To find out why learners first complete a task determining how $24,000 in cash would affect the height of a mattress and whether this same amount would fit into a suitcase of given dimensions....

One of the most common, everyday applications of math is dealing with money. This single problem calculating how much change Margie receives is more involved than it appears at first glance. An understanding of how fractions and decimals...

A fine lesson on saving and investing is here for you and your middle schoolers. In it, learners explore the values of time and money, and discover how small amounts of money invested over time can grow into a large "pot of gold." They...

Learners step up to the plate as they first complete an assessment task using linear equations to determine the best company from which to buy baseball jerseys. They then evaluate provided sample responses identifying strengths and...

Use mathematics to show your classes the power of a good model. Young mathematicians analyze the famous Ponzi pyramid scheme using an exponential pattern. They make conclusions on the reliability of the plan and why it is illegal. 

Let's save some money! High schoolers investigate different options for price reductions. They then determine the best and worst sale from a list of options.

Students explore consumer math by participating in estimate exercises. In this currency lesson, students identify and define each piece of U.S. currency and their value to the monetary system. Students complete several money worksheets...

Students determine how to make the largest sum of money using the least amount of coins. In this mixed currency lesson, students listen to a reading of If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz before participating in money counting...

Far out — plan a trip to space! Aspiring mathematicians steer a space vehicle through an asteroid field, calculate currency exchanges to buy provisions, and determine placement of charges to blow up asteroids. Along the way, they learn...

Fourth graders explore economics by identifying financial goals. In this consumerism lesson, 4th graders discuss money matters and how to conserve an income when they get older in order to achieve their goals. Students collaborate in...

Students change the money used in different countries into our currency. In this algebra lesson, students rewrite word problems using variables and inequalities. They label each unknown with a letter and identify the steps needed to...

Would you rather have a bowl of dimes or a bowl of quarters? A video introduces the problem by presenting two bowls, one full of quarters and another full of dimes. Learners use information from a CoinStar receipt to calculate the number...

Money, money, money. A complete lesson that makes use of different representations of simple and compound interest, including written scenarios, tables, graphs, and equations to highlight similarities and differences between linear and...

Math scholars investigate the cost of living in Hong Kong compared to Chicago but must first convert the different types of currency. They then choose a type of graph to compare different spending categories and finish the activity by...

Would you rather have a million dollars or 1 x 10^6 dollars? To find the answer to this question, class members first complete an assessment task converting numbers between decimal notation and scientific notation. They then take...

In this real-world example, algebra learners start to get a sense of how to represent the relationship between two variables in different ways. They start by looking at a partial table of values that define a linear relationship. They...

Investigate the current financial market and have your class explore savings, borrowing, financial markets, mutual funds, and the stock market. This four-part activity is designed to help students become knowledgeable and informed...

Students create a collect data on expenses. In this algebra lesson, students create a spreadsheet to solve scientific equations. They incorporate math, science and technology in this lesson.

Just how durable could a hollow ball bearing be? Learners model the strength of the walls of a ball bearing as a function of the radius of its cavity. They use their models to make reasonable conclusions about the probability of failure...

Help your kids develop strategies for counting. In this base-ten instructional activity, learners use matching cards, base 10 blocks, and dry erase markers and boards to examine the base 10 counting system.

The longer you wait to try the new pizza place, the more it's going to cost you! This real-world problem about how the cost of pizza varies with respect to time is a good example of how piecewise functions are used to describe...

How much is a million? This unit has a set of lessons investigating large numbers on the order of millions and billions. A culminating project has groups creating a slideshow and poster about large numbers found in the school and/or...

How many hot dogs does Fenway Park go through in a year? Learners estimate answers to this question and more as they work through the task. Problems require participants to make assumptions and use those assumptions to make estimations.

Make a connection between different types of interest and how they are calculated! This algebra II lesson progresses from simple interest to compound interest to continually compounded interest. Formulas are developed rather than given,...