Everyday Math and Science; and Math and Science Everyday

Suggested Time: 45-60 minutes
Overview
Students will become afflicted with the “math curse” and then the “science curse” in order to think about everyday things and actions as math and science problems.
Vocabulary
Objectives
Next Generation Science Standards
Common Core Mathematical Standards
Required Project Materials
Multimedia Resources
Optional Multimedia Resources
Before the Lesson/ Background Information
Homework from Previous Session:
The Lesson
Part 1: Reading Together (20 mins)
  1. Read Math Curse with the students. Meanwhile, identify math problems inside the classroom. There must be many geometry problems to consider, for example.
  2. Math Curse ends with a suggestion about a “science curse”. Inform the students that they now have the science curse!
  3. Show the “Do It Yourself Science” excerpt.
Part 2: The Science Curse* (40 mins)
  1. Show “The Scientific Method Rap” or similar.
  2. Review the steps in the scientific method.
  3. Have the students look around the room. What science problems can they identify? Have them work on coming up with “Questions.” What are some possible answers? What is the most likely answer? Relate the most likely answer to “Hypothesis”.
  4. Work with the students to come up with a list of four or five science questions/problems based on objects in the room (or outdoors, if you are conducting the lesson outside). They should be simple and easy to study in a short amount of time. For example, students could compare the measurements of two differently-shaped objects in order to determine which one is larger. You can also draw experiments from Bill Nye’s easy at-home experiments page.
  5. Separate the students into groups. For each topic, groups will write down their Question, a Hypothesis, and a Method or Experiment.
  6. Students can rely on observational, experimental, or comparative methods.
  7. If possible, incorporate a mathematical exercise into each experiment/ research project.
  8. Each group will then conduct a mini experiment, interpret what they discovered, and share the results with the rest of the class. This part can also be done in an extended or second class session.