Sunday, September 21, 2014

Matching Three Forms of Linear Functions

My students have worked on slope-intercept form and standard form in Algebra.  I want them to also learn point-slope form. 
I'm trying to avoid making that into a direct instruction lesson, and I am going to use these cards to help students make some observations about point-slope form.
I'm planning to give pairs students this stack of cards and have them sort them into meaningful piles.  I suspect they might start by sorting the graphs into one pile, the slope-intercept form into another, etc.  I'll then suggest they try to make 6 piles so that they try to match the graphs to the functions. 
Once students have the six piles, I'll ask them to explain why they put each pile together. I'll ask what the numbers in point-slope form represent. And we'll go from there. This feels like something Cindy Johnson (the Conic Card Lady) would do; I hope I'm keeping with the spirit of her activity.


*The graphs are taken from a Math-aids.com worksheet and I just added the forms of equations below.  What's your favorite card sorting activity? Mathematically yours, Miss B

3 comments:

  1. I love sorts and it sounds great! Do you have some kind of practice for them to apply what they've learned after the sort?

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  2. Hi Elissa,
    I'm going to focus on asking students why this form is useful. What situations would we want to write a function in point-slope form? There are plenty of rote practice things around. I think this one has a good mix of the basics: http://mhs.molineschools.org/wpfaff/files/2010/10/pointslope-form-wkst-RC-Alg1.pdf. I'll be sure to post if I come up with anything new.

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