Cluster 2: Interpret functions that arise in applications in terms of the context. (Algebra 1 - Major Cluster) (Algebra 2 - Major Cluster)Archived

Students are asked to describe the domain of a function given its graph.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to interpret key features of a graph (intercepts and intervals over which the graph is increasing) in the context of a problem situation.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to interpret key features of a graph (symmetry) in the context of a problem situation.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given verbal descriptions of two functions and are asked to describe an appropriate domain for each.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to identify and describe the domains of two functions given their graphs.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given a table of functional values in context and are asked to find the average rate of change over a specific interval.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given a graph and a verbal description of a function and are asked to describe its domain.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given a graph of an exponential function and are asked to calculate and compare the average rate of change over two different intervals of time.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to estimate the average rate of change of a nonlinear function over two different intervals given its graph.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to calculate and interpret the rate of change of a linear function given its graph.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are given a table of functional values and asked to describe and interpret key features of the graph in the context of the problem.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to sketch a graph from a verbal description.

Type: Formative Assessment

Students are asked to evaluate three verbal descriptions and to state why each does or does not match a given graph.

Type: Formative Assessment

In this Engineering Design Challenge, student teams will design, calculate, build and then test a tower structure that can successfully hold a slide made from a pool tube. The slide will be placed at three different heights to determine which height is safe yet still fun. Students will be given supply restraints and guidelines as they work in teams to solve the problem.  

Type: Lesson Plan

Students investigate the amount of space that could be saved by flattening cardboard boxes. The analysis includes linear graphs and regression analysis along with discussions of slope and a direct variation phenomenon.

Type: Lesson Plan

"To The Limit" MEA has students identify several factors that can affect a population’s growth. Students will examine photos to list limiting factors and discuss their impact on populations. As a group they will develop a solution to minimize the impact of pollution on fish population.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. Click here to learn more about MEAs and how they can transform your classroom.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is intended to help you assess how well students are able to:

• Model a periodic situation, the height of a person on a Ferris wheel, using trigonometric functions.
• Interpret the constants a, b, c in the formula h = a + b cos ct in terms of the physical situation, where h is the height of the person above the ground and t is the elapsed time.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson unit is intended to help you assess how well students are able to translate between graphs and algebraic representations of polynomials. In particular, this unit aims to help you identify and assist students who have difficulties in recognizing the connection between the zeros of polynomials when suitable factorizations are available, and graphs of the functions defined by polynomials as well as recognizing the connection between transformations of the graphs and transformations of the functions obtained by replacing f(x) by f(x + k), f(x) + k, -f(x), f(-x).

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson unit is intended to help you assess how well students are able to articulate verbally the relationships between variables arising in everyday contexts, translate between everyday situations and sketch graphs of relationships between variables, interpret algebraic functions in terms of the contexts in which they arise and reflect on the domains of everyday functions and in particular whether they should be discrete or continuous.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a great lab activity that allows students to develop a true understanding of slope as a rate of change. Students are active and involved and must use higher order thinking skills in order to answer questions. Students work through an activity, measuring heights of cups that are stacked. Students them determine a "rate of change - slope". Students are then asked to put this into slope-intercept form. The important part here is in their determining the y-intercept of the equation. Students then take this further and finally attempt to create a linear inequality to determine how many cups, stacked vertically, will fit under a table.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is the first in a sequence of grade 9-12 physical science lessons that are organized around the big ideas that frame motion, forces, and energy. It directly precedes resource # 52648 "BIOSCOPES Summer Institute 2013 - Forces." This lesson is designed along the lines of an iterative 5-E learning cycle and employs a predict, observe, and explain (POE) activity at the beginning of the "Engage" phase in order to elicit student prior knowledge. The POE is followed by a sequence of inquiry-based activities and class discussions that are geared toward leading the students systematically through the exploration of 1-dimensional motion concepts. Included in this resource is a summative assessment as well as a teacher guide for each activity.

Type: Lesson Plan

In this lesson students will learn to:

1. Identify changes in motion that produce acceleration.
2. Describe examples of objects moving with constant acceleration.
3. Calculate the acceleration of an object, analytically, and graphically.
4. Interpret velocity-time graph, and explain the meaning of the slope.
5. Classify acceleration as positive, negative, and zero.
6. Describe instantaneous acceleration.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is an entry lesson into quadratic functions and their shapes. Students see some real-life representations of parabolas. This lesson provides important vocabulary associated with quadratic functions and their graphs in an interactive manner. Students create a foldable and complete a worksheet using their foldable notes.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is an activity in which students find their personal biorhythms using sine functions. Biorhythms are 3 cycles (physical, emotional, and intellectual) thought to affect our behavior and performance. The biorhythms have 3 different period lengths. Students need to compute the number of days they have lived to find where they are in these cycles. Students find the equations of the functions and then graph on a graphing calculator.

Type: Lesson Plan

This is a short activity where students are able to determine the height of an elevated railing by using the equations associated with freefall. This lesson may also be appropriate for analyzing graphs related to position/velocity/acceleration versus time.

Type: Lesson Plan

This lesson is teacher/student directed for discovering and translating exponential functions using a graphing app. The lesson focuses on the translations from a parent graph and how changing the coefficient, base and exponent values relate to the transformation.

Type: Lesson Plan

Join us as we watch ball games and explore how the height of a ball bounce over time is represented by quadratic functions, which provides opportunities to interpret key features of the function in this interactive tutorial.

This is part 1 of a two-part series: Click HERE to open part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about exponential decay as you calculate the value of used cars by examining equations, graphs, and tables in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to interpret key features of linear functions and translate between representations of linear functions through exploring jobs for teenagers in this interactive tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about exponential growth in the context of interest earned as money is put in a savings account by examining equations, graphs, and tables in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn about exponential functions and how they are different from linear functions by examining real world situations, their graphs and their tables in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Learn how to calculate and interpret an average rate of change over a specific interval on a graph in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Jump to it and learn more about how quadratic equations are used in robot navigation problem solving!

Type: Perspectives Video: Expert

Richard Bertram discusses his mathematical modeling contribution to the Birdsong project that helps the progress of neuron and ion channel research.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Expert

Meteorologist, Michael Kozar, discusses the limitations to existing hurricane scales and how he is helping to develop an improved scale.

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Expert

What happens when math models go wrong in forecasting hurricanes?

Download the CPALMS Perspectives video student note taking guide.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

SCCA race car drivers discuss how using a chassis dyno to graph horsepower and torque curves helps them maximize potential in their race cars.

Type: Perspectives Video: Professional/Enthusiast

In this task, students use trigonometric functions to model the movement of a point around a wheel and, through space. Students also interpret features of graphs in terms of the given real-world context.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task is meant to be a straight-forward assessment task of graph reading and interpreting skills. This task helps reinforce the idea that when a variable represents time, t = 0 is chosen as an arbitrary point in time and positive times are interpreted as times that happen after that.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task could be used for assessment or for practice. It allows students to compare characteristics of two quadratic functions that are each represented differently, one as the graph of a quadratic function and one written out algebraically. Specifically, students are asked to determine which function has the greatest maximum and the greatest non-negative root.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task asks students to find the average, write an equation, find the domain, and create a graph of the cost of producing DVDs.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task asks students to consider functions in regard to temperatures in a high school gym.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

In this task students are given graphs of quantities related to weather. The purpose of the task is to show that graphs are more than a collection of coordinate points; they can tell a story about the variables that are involved, and together they can paint a very complete picture of a situation, in this case the weather. Features in one graph, like maximum and minimum points, correspond to features in another graph. For example, on a rainy day, the solar radiation is very low, and the cumulative rainfall graph is increasing with a large slope.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This deceptively simple task asks students to find the domain and range of a function from a given context. The function is linear and if simply looked at from a formulaic point of view, students might find the formula for the line and say that the domain and range are all real numbers.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This problem introduces a logistic growth model in the concrete settings of estimating the population of the U.S. The model gives a surprisingly accurate estimate and this should be contrasted with linear and exponential models.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task is for instructional purposes only and students should already be familiar with some specific examples of logistic growth functions. The goal of this task is to have students appreciate how different constants influence the shape of a graph.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This task can be used as a quick assessment to see if students can make sense of a graph in the context of a real world situation. Students also have to pay attention to the scale on the vertical axis to find the correct match. The first and third graphs look very similar at first glance, but the function values are very different since the scales on the vertical axes are very different. The task could also be used to generate a group discussion on interpreting functions given by graphs.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Students explore and manipulate expressions based on the following statement:

A function f defined for -a < x="">< a="" is="" even="" if="" f(-x)="f(x)" and="" is="" odd="" if="" f(-x)="-f(x)" when="" -a="">< x="">< a.="" in="" this="" task="" we="" assume="" f="" is="" defined="" on="" such="" an="" interval,="" which="" might="" be="" the="" full="" real="" line="" (i.e.,="" a="">

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The primary purpose of this task is to lead students to a numerical and graphical understanding of the behavior of a rational function near a vertical asymptote, in terms of the expression defining the function.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

The purpose of this task is to give students practice constructing functions that represent a quantity of interest in a context, and then interpreting features of the function in the light of the context. It can be used as either an assessment or a teaching task.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

This informational text resource is intended to support reading in the content area. The text discusses the two main factors that control the speed of a competitive swimmer: power and drag. The reader is then presented with mathematical formulas that determine these factors. The text also discusses the technological advances that have come about in the swimsuit industry. The text even entertains the idea of "technological doping" and allows the reader to question whether advanced swimsuits are hurting the competitiveness of swimming.

Type: Text Resource

In this tutorial, "Linear functions of the form f(x) = ax + b and the properties of their graphs are explored interactively using an applet." The applet allows students to manipulate variables to discover the changes in intercepts and slope of the graphed line. There are six questions for students to answer, exploring the applet and observing changes. The questions' answers are included on this site. Additionally, a tutorial for graphing linear functions by hand is included.

Type: Tutorial

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

This session on linear function and slope contains five parts, multiple problems and videos, and interactive activities geared to help students recognize and understand linear relationships, explore slope and dependent and independent variables in graphs of linear relationships, and develop an understanding of rates and how they are related to slopes and equations. Throughout the session, students use spreadsheets to complete the work, and are encouraged to think about the ways technology can aid in teaching and understanding. The solutions for all problems are given, and many allow students to have a hint or tip as they solve. There is even a homework assignment with four problems for students after they have finished all five parts of the session.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

This video demonstrates how to determine if a relation is a function and how to identify the domain.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

In this activity, students adjust slider bars which adjust the coefficients and constants of a linear function and examine how their changes affect the graph. The equation of the line can be in slope-intercept form or standard form. This activity allows students to explore linear equations, slopes, and y-intercepts and their visual representation on a graph. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Allows students access to a Cartesian Coordinate System where linear equations can be graphed and details of the line and the slope can be observed.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Using this virtual manipulative, students are able to graph a function and a set of ordered pairs on the same coordinate plane. The constants, coefficients, and exponents can be adjusted using slider bars, so the student can explore the affect on the graph as the function parameters are changed. Students can also examine the deviation of the data from the function. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

In this online tool, students input a function to create a graph where the constants, coefficients, and exponents can be adjusted by slider bars. This tool allows students to explore graphs of functions and how adjusting the numbers in the function affect the graph. Using tabs at the top of the page you can also access supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

This interactive simulation investigates graphing linear and quadratic equations. Users are given the ability to define and change the coefficients and constants in order to observe resulting changes in the graph(s).

Type: Virtual Manipulative