Digital Lesson.com - Middle School Math Lessons and Projects

Amazing Birthday Cards is an activity in which students respond "yes" or "no" to five numbered cards and the teacher uses mathematical patterns to determine the birthdays of these students based on their responses. Students discover the mathematical pattern that enables the teacher to identify the birthdays and they come to understand that this activity is based upon the base 2 number system. Amazing Birthday Cards never ceases to amaze the students!

The Creative Equations Project is a group math project that requires students to create equations with a variety of solutions from four given numbers. In the process students manipulate the given numbers using many mathematical symbols. The project helps students to become fluent in the use of Order of Operations. It includes work with square roots, factorials, the proper use of parentheses in equations, and all operational symbols.

Math Shadows is a hands-on, outside the classroom lesson in which students use shadows, similar triangles, and proportions to indirectly measure the heights of several objects on campus. By measuring the height and shadow of a student and the shadow of an object (basketball hoop, tree, flagpole) the students can create proportions to mathematically discover the height of those objects.

Math Madness is a classroom mathematics tournament (that can be run simultaneously with the NCAA Basketball Tournament) that involves problem solving and chance as students try to become class champion.

Amateur Architect is a hands-on math project that requires students to read directions and compute fraction operation problems. Students use the resulting measurements and a ruler to construct a house and garage.

Humongous Hero is a group project that involves proportions and the use of scale. Students use proportions and the handprint of the Humongous Hero to determine its height and body measurements. Then they use a scale to reduce these measurements down to a proportional size that can be drawn on poster board. Finally, students use proportions to determine the dimensions of various items owned by the hero.

Proportional Pictures is a hands-on math project that helps students to discover the relationship between the perimeter and area of two similar figures.

The Stock Market Contest is designed to teach students the basics of investing in the stock market, while reinforcing math skills (percents, decimals, and line graphs). Students enjoy tracking their investments as they root their stocks to win.

The Grade Sheet Lesson teaches students how to record, calculate, and track their math grades. In doing so the students practice working with fractions, decimals, and percents and progress to understand the effect of individual grades on their overall class grade. Parents enjoy the immediate feedback that this tool provides.