1. Baseball: Baseball Geometry

Source: Ken Burns American Stories

Explore historical and modern materials and construction of baseballs and perform calculations using various methods to discover the volume and surface area of a sphere.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Health & Fitness, Math

Topics: Sports. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

2. Black Kingdoms of the Nile

Source: Wonders Of The African World

Construct a three-dimensional model of a geometric pyramid using measurement and engineering skills. Explore the different theories of how the Egyptian pyramids were constructed, and test the practical application of the multiple ramp theory.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement. Archeology. World History: 4000-1000 BCE.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

3. Design and Math: Graphic Design - Using Symmetry to Create Corporate Logos

Source: Mathline

Describe symmetry of reflection, rotation and translation. Examine nine corporate logos for symmetry, and create an original logo using geometric shapes and symmetry.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math, The Arts

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Visual Arts.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

4. History and Mathematics: Proving the Pythagorean Theorem

Source: Mathline

Investigate the way early mathematicians reasoned about mathematics, and research the discovery of the existence of irrational numbers. Examine three historical methods of proving the theorum.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. World History: 1000 BCE-300 CE.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

5. Infinite Secrets: Archimedes' Recipe for Pi

Source: NOVA

Define perimeter, circumference, radius, diameter and area and demonstrate how to draw polygons that are inscribed in a circle and circumscribed around a circle. Estimate the value of pi by duplicating the method Archimedes used.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement. World History: 1000 BCE-300 CE.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

6. Let's Face It

Source: Mathline

Identify and construct the five regular polyhedra (tetrahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron), and describe basic characteristics, including the number of faces, vertices and edges, about each.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

7. Lost Treasures of Tibet

Source: NOVA

Investigate the meaning of some of the components represented in the Chenrezig mandala, understand that symmetry is an essential quality of mandalas and create a mandala-style piece of art.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Subjects: Math, The Arts

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Patterns and Algebraic Thinking. Visual Arts.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

8. Math and the President: Pythagoras and President Garfield

Source: Mathline

Prove the Pythagorean theorem using the method developed by President James A. Garfield, a former public school math teacher.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, Social Studies

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. United States History: 1870-1900.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

9. Math and the President: The Blue Room

Source: Mathline

Explore the mathematics of architecture by investigating the unusual shapes of some of the rooms in the White House, such as the Blue Room's elliptical shape. Use a graph to plot, draw and determine the equation of an ellipse.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, The Arts

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Functions and Algebra. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Architecture.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

10. Math Space Odyssey: The Capacity of the Planets

Source: Mathline

Represent numbers in scientific notation, and use geometry to solve problems related to three-dimensional figures. Explore distance and capacity problems about planets in the solar system.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, Science & Tech

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Numbers and Operations. Atmosphere & Space Science.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

11. Mathematics in Asia: Tangrams and Fractions

Source: Mathline

Construct a tangram puzzle from paper and use geometric terms to name and describe the seven shapes that have been formed. Determine the fractional values of the parts to the original whole, and compare their relative sizes.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Numbers and Operations.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

12. Outdoor Math 2000: How Many Shingles?

Source: Mathline

Apply the Pythagorean Theorem and analyze a scale drawing to determine the number of bundles of shingles needed to roof a house.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

13. Outdoor Math 2000: Pricing a Deck

Source: Mathline

Read a diagram and determine the minimum cost of each of the three deck designs, using prices and information about lumber from a chart. Apply the Pythagoreum theorum to calculate nonstandard shapes.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Problem Solving.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

14. Painting: Vasarely Was a Colorful Fellow

Source: South Carolina ETV: Artopia

Explore the genre of op art through the works of Victor Vasarely and M. C. Escher. Apply aspects of color theory to create hues from primary colors and place them in a tessellation.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math, The Arts

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Art History. Visual Arts.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

15. Plants: Surface Area of a Leaf

Source: Mathline

Determine the surface area of various leaves by tracing and measuring their shadows. Determine a formula to find the surface area of the leaves, create a table of values, graph the plots and use it to determine the surface area of other leaves.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

16. Race to Catch a Buckyball

Source: NOVA

Give a basic definition of a fullerene, construct a paper model of the 60-carbon-atom buckyball and discuss findings that there may be other types of fullerenes based on hexagons and pentagons.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, Science & Tech

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Chemistry. Design & Invention. Atomic.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

17. Roll Out the Barrel

Source: Mathline

Apply mathematical modeling to solve a real-world problem in which a manufacturing company is given two options for storing oil barrels. Decide which size and shape of storage unit will provide the most inexpensive space to store the containers.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense. Numbers and Operations.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

18. Shackleton's Antarctic Odyssey: Let The North Star Tell You Where You Are

Source: NOVA

Understand how to determine latitude and locate specific stars in the night sky. Describe what an astrolabe is and determine latitude by using an astrolabe.

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Subjects: Math, Science & Tech

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement. Atmosphere & Space Science. Navigation.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

19. Sizing up the Supersize Croc

Source: Nature

Examine the similarities between crocodiles and humans by comparing skeletal structure and body parts. Estimate the height of a person based on the ratio of height to armspan, then create a supersize croc image using grids to replicate proportions.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math, Science & Tech

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Numbers and Operations. Animals: Reptiles & Amphibians. Human Biology.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

20. Special Effects: Titanic and Beyond

Source: NOVA

Define the geometric principle "perspective," assemble a distorted room using a template and investigate how geometry plays a role in perspective.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

21. The Elegant Universe: Einstein's Dream: Deducting Dimensions

Source: NOVA

Understand how string theory supports the idea that the universe is made up of more than the four commonly experienced spacetime dimensions and consider how more than three spatial dimensions could exist in the universe.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math, Science & Tech

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Chemistry. Motion & Forces. Atomic.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

22. The Proof

Source: NOVA

Determine a common definition for the term "curve," construct a simple curve, explain the patterns students notice among the segments that make up each curve and determine if the definition should change based on what is now known.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

23. Tiling the Plaza

Source: Mathline

Create a tessellation and examine geometric patterns using pattern blocks. Create original designs for a tiled plaza.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

24. War Machines of Tomorrow

Source: NOVA

Examine the geometric process known as triangulation and simulate the Global Positioning System by using triangulation to locate a target.

Grade Level: 6-8, 9-12

Subjects: Math

Topics: Geometry and Spatial Sense. Measurement.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan

25. What's Your Angle?

Source: Mathline

Devise procedures for using a protractor to measure the number of degrees in an angle, and use inductive reasoning to develop "angle sense." Describe circumstances and careers that require a working knowledge of angles and their measurements.

Grade Level: 6-8

Subjects: Math

Topics: Applied Mathematics. Geometry and Spatial Sense.

Resource Type: Lesson Plan