Shared by a math and science teacher in Texas.
Unit 1
Algebra Review
Simplifying Algebraic Expressions I
Meet Spidro, a quirky critter with an appetite for algebraic expressions! As Spidro's adopted owner, it's your responsibility to feed him so that he grows into… whatever it is that a Spidro grows into. But be careful - Spidro is a picky eater who prefers his food to be as simple as possible. Use the commutative property, distributive property, and the other properties of addition and multiplication to put expressions in simplest (and tastiest) form.
Simplifying Algebraic Expressions II
Will you adopt Spidro, Centeon, or Ping Bee? They're three very different critters with one thing in common: a hunger for simplified algebraic expressions! Learn how the distributive property can be used to combine variable terms, producing expressions that will help your pet grow up healthy and strong. You'll become a pro at identifying terms that can be combined – even terms with exponents and multiple variables. With enough practice, you and your pet will be ready for the competitive expression eating circuit. Good luck!
Equivalent Algebraic Expressions I
Grumpy’s Restaurant is now hiring! As a new chef at this underwater bistro, you’ll learn the basics of manipulating algebraic expressions. Learn how to make equivalent expressions using the Commutative and Associative properties, how to handle pesky subtraction and division, and how to identify equivalent and non-equivalent expressions.
Equivalent Algebraic Expressions II
Continue your meteoric rise in the undersea culinary world in this follow-up to Equivalent Algebraic Expressions I. Make equivalent expressions by using the distributive property forwards and backwards, sort expressions by equivalence, and personally assist Chef Grumpy himself with a project that will bring him (and maybe you) fame and fortune.
Solving Algebraic Equations I
Are there times when you wish you could escape from everyone and just be alone? Meet our variable friend, a real loner who doesn't like coefficients and neighboring terms. Learn how to use inverses to isolate a variable – a foundational skill for solving algebraic equations.
Solving Algebraic Equations II
Is solving equations tricky? If you know how to isolate a variable, you're halfway there. The other half? Don't do anything to upset the balance of an equation. Join our plucky variable friend as he encounters algebraic equations and a (sometimes grumpy) equal sign. With a little practice, you'll find that solving equations isn't tricky at all.
Cargo Captain (Multi-digit Subtraction)
You are the captain of an interplanetary cargo ship, delivering important supplies to the outer planets. The cargo can be stored in barrels, crates, and holds. (There are 10 barrels in a crate, and 10 crates in a hold.) Model multi-digit subtraction by unloading cargo on each planet.
Unit 2 Functions Modeling and Slope
Function Machines 1 (Functions and Tables)
Drop a number into a function machine, and see what number comes out! You can use one of the six pre-set function machines, or program your own function rule into one of the blank machines. Stack up to three function machines together. Input and output can be recorded in a table and on a graph.
Function Machines 2 (Functions, Tables, and Graphs)
Drop a number into a function machine, and see what number comes out! You can use one of the six pre-set function machines, or program your own function rule into one of the blank machines. Stack up to three function machines together. Input and output can be recorded in a table and on a graph.
Function Machines 3 (Functions and Problem Solving)
Drop a number into a function machine, and see what number comes out! You can use one of the six pre-set function machines, or program your own function rule into one of the blank machines. Stack up to three function machines together. Input and output can be recorded in a table and on a graph.
Fraction Artist 2 (Area Models of Fractions)
Extend understanding of fractions by making modern paintings in the style of Piet Mondrian. Create and analyze paintings with different-sized sections. Compare the sizes of unit fractions. Find creative ways to color one-half of a painting. This can be a nice introduction to adding fractions with unlike denominators.
Fractions Greater than One (Fraction Tiles)
Explore fractions greater than one with the Fractionator, a fraction-tile-making machine in the Gizmo. Create sums of fraction tiles on two number lines. Sums greater than one are shown as improper fractions on the top number line, and as mixed numbers on the bottom number line.
Equivalent Fractions (Fraction Tiles)
Explore fractions using the Fractionator, the machine that makes fraction tiles. Compare fractions and find equivalent fractions by arranging the tiles on two horizontal rows. Explore simplifying fractions. Add fractions and express sums as improper fractions or mixed numbers.
Chocomatic (Multiplication, Arrays, and Area)
Use the Chocomatic to design candy bars made out of chocolate squares. Use multiplication to find the number of squares in each chocolate bar. Build collections of chocolate bars that all have the same number of squares. Solve multiplication problems by joining two smaller chocolate bars into a large bar.
Modeling Fractions (Area Models)
Model and compare fractions using area models. Set the denominators with the arrow buttons, and then set the numerators with the arrow buttons or by clicking in the models. Compare fractions visually, on a number line, or numerically using the least common denominator.
Fraction, Decimal, Percent (Area and Grid Models)
Model and compare fractions, decimals, and percents using area models. Each area model can have 10 or 100 sections and can be set to display a fraction, decimal, or percent. Click inside the area models to shade them. Compare the numbers visually or on a number line.
Unit 3 Introduction to Problem Solving
Time Estimation
Try to estimate the passage of time by selecting a time interval, clicking the Start button, and clicking Stop when you think the interval has passed. The estimate and percent error are recorded. Compare different techniques for estimating time, as well as the average error for long time intervals versus shorter intervals.
Unit 4 Reading and Interpreting Graphs
Real-Time Histogram
Try to click your mouse once every 2 seconds. The time interval between each click is recorded, as well as the error and percent error. Data can be displayed in a table, histogram, or scatter plot. Observe and measure the characteristics of the resulting distribution when large amounts of data are collected.
Mascot Election (Pictographs and Bar Graphs)
A brand new school is opening and it is time to elect the school mascot! Students can choose the Eagle, Lion, Bear, or Wolf. Voting results can be displayed in a table, tally chart, pictograph, bar graph, circle graph, or dot plot. You can change student votes by selecting a group of students and clicking a mascot.
Elevator Operator (Line Graphs)
Operate an elevator in an old apartment building. Pick up and drop off residents where they want to go. A line graph shows where the elevator traveled over time. Operate the elevator either by using the standard up and down controls, or by building a graph to program where you want it to go.
Graphing Skills
Create a graph (bar graph, line graph, pie chart, or scatter plot) based on a given data set. Title the graph, label the axes, and choose a scale. Adjust the graph to fit the data, and then check your accuracy. The Gizmo can also be used to create a data table based on a given graph.
Unit 5 Probability and Statistics
Independent and Dependent Events
Compare the theoretical and experimental probabilities of drawing colored marbles from a bag. Record results of successive draws to find the experimental probability. Perform the drawings with replacement of the marbles to study independent events, or without replacement to explore dependent events.
Spin the Big Wheel! (Probability)
Step right up! Spin the big wheel! Each spin can result in no prize, a small prize, or a big prize. The wheel can be spun by 1, 10, or 100 players. Results are recorded on a frequency table or a circle graph. You can also design your own wheel and a sign that describes the probabilities for your wheel.
Permutations and Combinations
Experiment with permutations and combinations of a number of letters represented by letter tiles selected at random from a box. Count the permutations and combinations using a dynamic tree diagram, a dynamic list of permutations, and a dynamic computation by the counting principle.
Reaction Time 1 (Graphs and Statistics)
Test your reaction time by catching a falling ruler or clicking a target. Create a data set of experiment results, and calculate the range, mode, median, and mean of your data. Data can be displayed on a list, table, bar graph or dot plot. The Reaction Time 1 Student Exploration focuses on range, mode, and median.
Reaction Time 2 (Graphs and Statistics)
Test your reaction time by catching a falling ruler or clicking a target. Create a data set of experiment results, and calculate the range, mode, median, and mean of your data. Data can be displayed on a list, table, bar graph or dot plot. The Reaction Time 2 Student Exploration focuses on mean.
Unit 7 Radicals and Special Right Triangles
Balancing Blocks (Volume)
This Gizmo provides you with two challenges. First, use blocks to build a figure with a given volume. Then, try to balance the blocks on a platform that sits on the tip of a cone. The dimensions of the platform can be adjusted, and blocks can be added or deleted by clicking on the model.
Unit 8 Personal Finance/Budgeting
Review of Skills
Ocean Mapping
Use a sonar on a boat to remotely measure the depth of an ocean at various locations. Describe multiple points on the ocean floor using their latitude, longitude, and depth. View maps of ocean depth in two and three dimensions, and use these maps to plot a safe route for ships to follow.
Drug Dosage
A drug prescription must be carefully planned to maximize benefit while avoiding an overdose. In this Gizmo, you can give a patient one or more pills and monitor the levels of medication in the body through time. Based on the reaction of the patient, determine the ideal levels of medication. Create a dosage schedule so these levels are maintained through time. Four types of pills, each with a different release pattern and target organ, are available for use.
Dye Elimination
When a foreign substance such as a drug is ingested, it often remains in the bloodstream for a long time. This Gizmo models the elimination of substances from the bloodstream using water and dye. Add dye to a container of water, and then add beakers of pure water while removing beakers of dyed water. The amount of dye remaining is recorded after each cycle. The volumes of all containers can be adjusted, as well as the amount of dye used. This provides a good example of exponential decay.
Growing Plants
Investigate the growth of three common garden plants: tomatoes, beans, and turnips. You can change the amount of light each plant gets, the amount of water added each day, and the type of soil the seed is planted in. Observe the effect of each variable on plant height, plant mass, leaf color and leaf size. Determine what conditions produce the tallest and healthiest plants. Height and mass data are displayed on tables and graphs.
Cat and Mouse (Modeling with Linear Systems)
Experiment with a system of two lines representing a cat-and-mouse chase. Adjust the speeds of the cat and mouse and the head start of the mouse, and immediately see the effects on the graph and on the chase. Connect real-world meaning to slope, y-intercept, and the intersection of lines.
Forest Ecosystem
Observe and manipulate the populations of four creatures (trees, deer, bears, and mushrooms) in a forest. Investigate the feeding relationships (food web) in the forest. Determine which creatures are producers, consumers, and decomposers. Pictographs and line graphs show changes in populations over time.
Force and Fan Carts
Explore the laws of motion using a simple fan cart. Use the buttons to select the speed of the fan and the surface, and press Play to begin. You can drag up to three objects onto the fan cart. The speed of the cart is displayed with a speedometer and recorded in a table and a graph.
Phase Changes
Explore the relationship between molecular motion, temperature, and phase changes. Compare the molecular structure of solids, liquids, and gases. Graph temperature changes as ice is melted and water is boiled. Find the effect of altitude on phase changes. The starting temperature, ice volume, altitude, and rate of heating or cooling can be adjusted.
Roller Coaster Physics
Adjust the hills on a toy-car roller coaster and watch what happens as the car careens toward an egg (that can be broken) at the end of the track. The heights of three hills can be manipulated, along with the mass of the car and the friction of the track. A graph of various variables of motion can be viewed as the car travels, including position, speed, acceleration, potential energy, kinetic energy, and total energy.
Seasons in 3D
Gain an understanding of the causes of seasons by observing Earth as it orbits the Sun in three dimensions. Observe the path of the Sun across the sky on any date and from any location. Create graphs of solar intensity and day length, and use collected data to describe and explain seasonal changes.