Graphing non-linear inequalities

Learning target: students can graph non-linear inequalities.

This is a multiple day lesson, where students first start with a game of graphing pictionary.  I hand students this packet and tell them that the person holding it must


Students have to complete the 4 problems

I've also learned that these types of activities work great but they have to be accompanied by practice almost immediately after in order to cement the ideas down so students can actually apply the concepts.


The second day I open with a warm up that requires students to write the equations for a system of inequalities based off of a graph.  Then I hand them a sheet, tell them to figure out what the equations are.  the most important part is that they are going to double check themselves on their own calculator.  I've learned by now that with my 11th grade students activities always run smoother if the lesson is student centered.  They must be able to check their own work.

This turns out to be a great review of function transformations as well

Linear Programming high challenge

Learning target: students can solve linear programming problems unassisted.



students get to pick from one of the three problems and make a poster about it.  I show a poster of previous student work of Joe's coffee shop, which is a problem all of them have already solved.:

(most of the students choose the juice problem)



One thing that could make this activity better is if these same students had to complete one problem of the high support, where there is no context.

Anticipate students defining their variables half haphazardly, which can lead to confusion latter, especially for the juice problem where students have to convert their unit to be in all quarts or all gallons.

Linear programming

Learning Target: students can maximize the profit of a system of inequalities.


The lesson starts off based on the previous walk-though of feasible region and Fred's coffee shop.  then, if students understand they move forward, and if not we go back to basics.

Determining factor: can the students do this problem while using Fred's coffee shop as a guide






High challenge:
Students pick on of three problems and make a poster that shows the solution using the template we have been using.

Anticipate: students not defining x and y well enough.


High support:
 Here are the three questions.  Students had to pick one depending on where they think they are at.

Question 1 student work

:

Question 2 student work

Question 3 student work.

Scavenger Hunt-feasible region and linear programming introduction

Learning Target: students can identify points inside and outside of the feasible region.

Intro: I hand out the problem to each student as they come in the door and most of them can begin without any prompt.

the idea is that we are going to set up a scavenger hunt and need to set up the boundaries using a system of inequalities. (thank you Google Maps)

Students graph these and label 5 points that would serve as suitable stations for the scavenger hunt.  Inevitably, one student will pick some point where x=4, which gives us a good talking point when we review it.

there is one question about the northern-most point, which students will eyeball from there sometimes haphazard graphs, which gives us an avenue to review solving systems.

Plugging the point back in and finding the y-location is not always easy to remember.

Here is a PDF of the lesson, and below is the worksheet.

Scale of the Universe

Lesson objective: students can plot data of varying magnitudes on a semi-log scale.

This is a lab day, and students log on to find this website: http://htwins.net/scale2/lang.html

They then pick 12 objects of various sizes and write down their names and sizes in meters.  The interactive website displays data between the two extremes shown below, and naturally student choose some from each side of the spectrum, which makes it hard to graph using a base 10 scale

As students enter I hand them this worksheet that will guide them through the activity.  After they pick their 12 objects they plot them on semi-log scale graph paper.