Curated OER
Building Understanding of Rate of Change/Slopes Using Alice
Young scholars explore slope as a rate of change. In this eighth grade mathematics lesson, students investigate real-world problems to determine rate of change and transform it into a linear representation, thus determining slope. Young...
Corbett Maths
Instantaneous Rates of Change
Here's a great lesson that looks at slope as an instantaneous change. Using an estimated tangent line, the presenter shows the class how to find an approximation for the instantaneous rate of change. Scholars determine the slope of the...
EngageNY
Interpreting Rate of Change and Initial Value
Building on knowledge from the previous lesson plan, the second lesson plan in this unit teaches scholars to identify and interpret rate of change and initial value of a linear function in context. They investigate how slope expresses...
EngageNY
Graphs of Linear Functions and Rate of Change
Discover an important property of linear functions. Learners use the slope formula to calculate the rates of change of linear functions. They find that linear functions have constant rates of change and use this property to determine if...
Curated OER
Y-Intercept and Slope Intercept Form
Alegebra amateurs identify the slope and the y-intercept given a linear equation in slope-intercept form by correctly completing some in class problems. They write the linear equation in slope-intercept form that corresponds to the given...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Average Rate of Change
Learners investigate average rates of change for linear functions and connect the concept to slope. They then determine average rates of change in quadratic and exponential functions.
Corbett Maths
Average Rate of Change
Simply find the slope to find the average rate of change. A short video provides the definition of the average rate of change. Using the definition, pupils calculate the average rate of change to solve problems that cover finding average...
Curated OER
Slippery Slope
Middle schoolers use a computer to complete activitites about slope. They find the slope of mountains, roofs, and stairs using rise over run. Pupils are shown different types of slopes and have to identify if the slope is positive,...
Curated OER
Linear Functions: Slope, Graphs, and Models
This math packet provides an opportunity for learners to graph two linear equations on a coordinate grid and determine the slope and y-intercept of each. They use the equation of five lines to find the slope and y-intercepts, and then...
Natinal Math + Science Initative
Slope Investigation
Context is the key to understanding slope. A real-world application of slope uses a weight loss scenario with a constant rate of change to introduce the concept of slope of a line, before it makes a connection to the ordered pairs and...
EngageNY
The Slope of a Non-Vertical Line
This lesson introduces the idea of slope and defines it as a numerical measurement of the steepness of a line. Pupils then use the definition to compare lines, find positive and negative slopes, and notice their definition holds for...
Curated OER
A Day at the Beach
Help learners determine the rate of change for the temperature of sand. They will collect data on the temperature of wet and dry sand over time with a heat lamp overhead. Then make a scatter plot of the data and find a linear model to...
West Contra Costa Unified School District
Sneaking Up on Slope
Pupils determine the pattern in collinear points in order to determine the next point in a sequence. Using the definition of slope, they practice using the slope formula, and finish the activity with three different ways to determine the...
Curated OER
Introducing y = mx + b
Middle and high schoolers use the slope intercept form to graph a line. For this algebra lesson, pupils rewrite equations from standard form to y-intercept form. They use the slope and y-intercept to graph a line without making a table...
Illustrative Mathematics
Find the Change
This exercise is an opportunity for algebra learners to understand the connection between the slope of a line and points found on the line. Use similar triangles to explain why slope m is the same between any two points. Discuss with the...
Curated OER
A Sweet Drink
Students investigate reaction rates. For this seventh or eighth grade mathematics lesson, students collect, record, and analyze data regarding how the temperature of water affects the dissolving time of a sugar cube. Studetns determin...
EngageNY
The Computation of the Slope of a Non-Vertical Line
Determine the slope when the unit rate is difficult to see. The 17th part of a 33-part series presents a situation that calls for a method to calculate the slope for any two points. It provides examples when the slope is hard to...
Curated OER
Algebra 1: Slope as Rate
Students solve problems with slopes. In this algebra lesson, students identify the slope of a line and relate it to the rate of change. They graph their lines on the TI and observe changes in the lines.
Virginia Department of Education
Linear Modeling
An inquiry-based algebra lesson explores real-world applications of linear functions. Scholars investigate four different situations that can be modeled by linear functions, identifying the rate of change, as well as the strength and...
Curated OER
Lessen the Loan
Middle-schoolers explore the concept linear equations. They use the internet to navigate through videos and problems. Pupils problem solve to determine rates of change, slope, and x and y-intercepts.
Curated OER
Piecewise Linear Functions: Extending Stories to Graphs
Using this resource, scholars develop graphs that model situations by showing change over time. They answer 15 questions based on information from charts that show growth in weight. They extend the concepts to an assessment section of...
Virginia Department of Education
Slippery Slope
Explore slope using geometric patterns. Young mathematicians investigate towers built from cubes to develop a linear pattern. They move the data to a coordinate plane to connect the pattern to slopes.
Curated OER
Point-Slope Form of a Line
This activity helps young mathematicians connect the graph and the point-slope form of a line, by first solving a real-world problem and then using that example to motivate the understanding of the equation. By manipulating the gizmo,...
Concord Consortium
Be Well
How much do you spend on healthcare each year? Data shows the expenditures in the US rise significantly each year. Young scholars use the data to calculate a rate of change over a 30-year period and look for—as well as provide— possible...