6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students will use Cuisenaire Rods to build trains of different lengths and investigate patterns. Students will use tables to create graphs, define recursive functions, and approximate exponential formulas to describe the patterns.
6-8
In this lesson, expressions representing area of a rectangle are used to enhance understanding of the distributive property. The concept of area of a rectangle can provide a visual tool for students to factor monomials from expressions.
6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students will use Cuisenaire Rods to build trains of different lengths and investigate patterns. Students will use tables to create graphs, define recursive functions, and approximate exponential formulas to describe the patterns.
6-8, 9-12
In this lesson make connections between exponential functions and recursive rules. Students will use tables to create graphs, define recursive rules and find exponential formulas.
6-8
In this investigation, students learn about the notion of equivalence in concrete and numerical settings. As students begin to use symbolic representations, they use variables as place holders or unknowns. This investigation illustrates the continued transition from the concrete balance view of equivalence to a more abstract view.
6-8, 9-12
This investigation uses a motion detector to help students understand graphs and equations. Students experience constant and variable rates of change and are challenged to consider graphs where no movements are possible to create them. Multiple representations are used throughout the lesson to allow students to build their fluency with in how graphs, tables, equations, and physical modeling are connected. The lesson also allows students to investigate multiple function types, including linear, exponential, quadratic, and piecewise.
6-8, 9-12
A common problem when students learn about the slope-intercept equation
y =
mx +
b is that they mechanically substitute for
m and
b without understanding their meaning. This lesson is intended to provide students with a method for understanding that
m is a rate of change and
b is the value when
x = 0. This kinesthetic activity allows students to form a physical interpretation of slope and
y-intercept
by running across a football field. Students will be able to verbalize
the meaning of the equation to reinforce understanding and discover
that slope (or rate of movement) is the same for all sets of points
given a set of data with a linear relationship.
6-8, 9-12
This lesson allows students to explore linear equations and the effects of changing the slope and
y-intercept on a line. It gives students exposure to
y =
mx +
b,
and can be used as an introduction to the topic. Using graphing
calculators, students are challenged to overlap lines onto the sides of
polygons. To achieve this goal, students change slopes and
y-intercepts of lines, noting observations about behavior as they work. As students change the
y-intercept
of a line, they see it raise or lower the line. As students change the
slope, they see it affect the steepness of the line.
3-5, 6-8
In this lesson students will review plotting points and labeling axis. Students generate a set of random points all located within the first quadrant. Students will plot and connect the points and then create a short story that could describe the graph. Students must ensure that the graph is labeled correctly and that someone could recreate their graph from their story.
6-8, 9-12
In this lesson, students compare different costs associated with two
cell phone plans. They write equations with 2 variables and graph to
find the solution of the system of equations. They then analyze the
meaning of the graph and discuss other factors involved in choosing a
cell phone plan.
