Lewis 1

LESSON PLAN - A

NAME: Barry Lewis DATE: Day One

SUBJECT OF LESSON: Factoring- foundations NO. OF STUDENTS: 20

TIME ESTIMATE: 70 minutes GRADE LEVEL: 11th.

I. INTENDED STUDENT OUTCOMES (Behavioral Objectives)

1. In the study of algebra, students will begin to understand factors and they will develop fundamental
skills of pattern recognition that are necessary for the learning of factoring procedures. Students will
demonstrate their understanding by factoring polynomial expressions into simplified forms.

2. Maine Learning Results-- H. Algebra Concepts: Formulate and solve equations and inequalities.
NCTM-- Algebra Standard, Grades 9–12: write equivalent forms of equations, inequalities, and
systems of equations and solve them with fluency.

II. ASSESSMENT

1. Students will work in pairs on the Venn diagram factor worksheet (3 diagrams: see attachment). NN
and I will circulate among students in order to clarify instructions and correct misconceptions.
Students will be evaluated for their ability to determine factors and recognize common factors.
Upon completion, we will compare results as a class and discuss differences, if any.

2. Students will work either alone or in groups on a series of factoring problems (16 problems: see
attachment). NN and I will circulate among students in order to clarify instructions and guide
students as needed. Upon completion, or at such time as seems prudent, sample problems will be
worked out on the board. Students will be invited to demonstrate their solutions at the board, in
which case I will ask for the student’s step by step analysis of her/his work and also invite questions
and comments from classmates.

III. MATERIALS

1. Student materials:
a. Finding Factors-- Venn diagram worksheets
b. Factoring Polynomials-- Greatest Common Factors (GCF) worksheet
c. TOOLBOX-- operations with positive and negative numbers (method #1)
d. THINKBOX-- prime factorization

2. Teacher materials:
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a. list of 3 quadratic formulas (vertical motion, circle, mass-energy equivalence).

b. iPod prepared with music (songs with distinctive openings).
c. TOOLBOX summary on sticky easel paper
d. THINKBOX summary on sticky easel paper

IV. PROCEDURES

1. Start class as usual, with 60 seconds of silence.

2. Groundwork [4 minutes]
a. The class is beginning a unit on quadratic equations, but skills and math confidence are
very low. Begin with some basic features of quadratic equations: “What do they look like (the 3
examples-- provide details). “What do they have in common?” (highest exponent equals 2).
Explain the name: “So, where’s the 4?” (Quadratus is Latin for square).

b. Demonstrate the quadratic equation P = x2 – x. (Make up some fanciful relation, e.g., P is the
number of pirate radio stations broadcasting trance music per year and x is the number of solar
flares per year). If x was 20 last year, how many pirate radio stations were broadcasting trance
music? (This isn’t too hard... P = 380). “But what if you only know P. Could you find x where x2
– x = 380, which is x2 – x – 380 = 0 in standard form? Trickier. For that you need to have
some new tools, which is what we’re going to start developing today.”

3. Music [6 min]
a. Play brief snippet (fraction of a second) of songs with distinctive opening notes. Play Name That
Tune (the class will kill at this!) Talk about pattern recognition, about their inherent
strengths with that ability, about how their brains are already good at this. “Now, lets look for
patterns in numbers.”

4. Venn Diagrams [25 min]

a. Quick refresher: music again-- if A contains songs performed by Jimi Hendrix and B contains
songs performed by Bob Dylan, is there anything in A∩B? What about “written” instead of
“performed”?

b. Define factor: Numbers that can be multiplied together to get another number are its factors.
For example, 4*3 = 12, so 3 and 4 are factors of 12. However, they're not its only factors; 1, 2, 6,
and 12 are other factors of 12. (Another way of defining a factor is a number that goes evenly into
the number you're factoring.) This requires clarifying the idea of “numbers dividing evenly” or
a|b, that is, division of integers where the remainder is zero. Emphasize the roles of both
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multiplication and division in the factoring process. “If you use need technology to help you
find these factors, what operation are you employing (division)? Why does that work (division is
the inverse operation of multiplication: reverses)? Show example: “If 4 and 2 are factors
of 12, then 12 ÷ 4 = some whole number (3) and 12 ÷ 2 = some whole number (6).

c. Demonstrate Venn Factor Map. Use 2 and 3 as guide numbers for Venn diagram sets A and B
and determine if 2, 3 or both 2 and 3 are factors of each number n between 0 and 30. Model
this process in lecture, but then ask class to respond until the diagram is completed (when n =
30). Discuss and analyze the members of A, B and A∩B.

d. Distribute Venn Diagram/Finding Factors worksheet (see attachments). The class should work
in pairs for this assessment. NN and I will roam, check-in, guide, etc.

e. Post THINKBOX to board. This is a challenge area for any student who feels inclined to push
him/herself a little further. The THINKBOX for this lesson contains ideas about prime
factorization (see attachment).

f. Post TOOLBOX to board. This will be a support area for students needing review about the
fundamental operations that will be involved in this lesson plan. The TOOLBOX for today (and
every day!) contains summary rules about addition and multiplication of
positive and negative numbers (see attachment).

g. Upon completion, students retain worksheets but we review the results collectively and discuss
any differences.

5. Factoring [35 min]

a. Define greatest common factor: The greatest common factor (GCF) is the greatest factor
that is common to two or more numbers (they share it). For instance, the greatest common factor of
15 and 25 is 5, because 5 is the largest number that goes into 15 and 25 evenly.

b. Illustrate distribution (the distributive property) and backwards distribution:

5(r + s) = 5r+5s = 5(r + s).

c. Model these examples of factoring out GCF’s (“These may look intimidating-- more than
one variable, exponent numbers, coefficient numbers. Let’s unpack slowly.”):
ax2 + 2xy = x(ax+2y)
21t - 3s = 3(7t - 1)
Ask for class response to: 3x2 + 12x - 33 = 3(x2 + 4x - 11)
“You should always double-check your factored polynomial to make sure you didn’t leave any
common factors behind. You can always check your factoring to see if you get back to where
you started from.”
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d. Distribute TOOLBOX-- Operations with Positive and Negative Numbers and Polynomial
Factoring worksheet (see attachment). Students can work independently or in groups. NN and
I will roam, check-in, guide, etc.

e. PERFORMANCE: Invite student demonstration at board and conduct class-wide conversation.

f. Students will complete the worksheet outside of class.

6. Differentiation:
THINKBOX and TOOLBOX (see III. 1. c and d) are idea spaces intended to support students who
are interested in digging a little deeper into the concepts that drive the lesson plan or acquiring skills
for related, more complex procedures (THINKBOX), as well as students who need additional
support with, or even occasional review of, the more fundamental ideas and methods upon which
continued success in mathematics rests (TOOLBOX). TOOLBOX is also an instructional aid for the
development of procedural knowledge.

Other methods of differentiated instruction are: varied groupings (independently, pairs, groups),
alternative process formats (diagrams, symbolic language), and alternative manners of demonstration
(private, public).
 Day One

7 2
FINDING FACTORS

For the range of numbers n, write each

number in the appropriate area of the
Venn diagram. The number printed in the
small circles are factors of each number
that you put into the areas associated
with those numbers.
0 ≤ n ≤ 50 A
So for example, in diagram A, the
number 60 belongs in the 2-Set because
2 is a factor of 60 while 7 is not, but in
diagram B, 60 belongs in the intersection
3 5
of the 3-Set and the 5-Set because both
3 and 5 are factors of 60. Where does 60
belong in diagram C?

0 ≤ n ≤ 45 B

6 4

0 ≤ n ≤ 48 C
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Name: ________________________________ FACTORING POLYNOMIALS

Block: ___________ Due Date: ___________ Greatest Common Factors (GCF)

HOW _____ / 4
Factor each polynomial and rewrite in simplest form.

3p + prt 16a2 – 24

7y2 + 35y – 7 36n2 – 30n

4x2 + 14x + 2 11ab + 99bx

39s2 – 13s – 25c2 – 15

2x3 + 14x 4x2y – 8xy2

t3 + st2 – 5t ay2 – a2y3 + 7ay

3y2 + 15x2y – 21y –b2 + 4ab – 2b

27t2 – 18t – 12 3x2 + 21x + 36

 Day One

TO O L B OX
Operations on positive and negative numbers
MUTIPLICATION.
The product of any two numbers is always a positive number whenever those two factors have the same sign.
The product of any two numbers is always a negative number whenever those two factors have different signs.

(+) • (+) (–) • (–) (+) • (–) (–) • (+)

+ + – –

These are the only two rules you ever have to consider with MULTIPLICATION.

ADDITION.
The rules for adding positive and negative numbers are more involved. Here’s one way of thinking about them.

Method One: The Particle/Anti-particle Annihilation Idea

Think of a positive number as being that many (+ particles) and think of a negative number as being that many
(– particles). So then adding numbers is like combining different amounts of each kind of particle, + and – .

So, 3 plus 5 would look like this:

3 (+particles) are + + + and
5 (+particles) are + + + + + . No particles are annihilated and you have 8 (+particles), or 8. So, 5 + 3 = 8.

Let’s say you have –3 plus –3. That looks like this:
3 (–particles) are –  –  – and
3 (–particles) are –  –  – . No particles are annihilated and you have 6 (–particles), or –6. So, –3 + –3 = –6.

Let’s say you have 3 plus –5. That looks like this:
3 (+particles) are + + + and + + +
5 (–particles) are –  –  –  –  – . Now some annihilation happens, like this - - - - -
and all that’s left are 2 (–particles), or –2. So 3 + –5 = –2.

Let’s say you have 3 plus –3, which looks like this:
3 (+particles) are + + + and + + +
3 (–particles) are –  –  – . Poof, poof, poof! Complete annihilation, like this - - -
and nothing’s left, no particles at all. So 3 + –3 = 0.
 Day One

T H I N K B OX
Prime Factorization

A prime number is any positive integer greater than 1 whose only factors are 1 and itself. For example, 12
is not prime because 1·12 = 12, and 2·6 = 12, and 3·4 = 12, so 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 are all factors of 12.
On the other hand, 13 is prime because 1 and 13 are the only positive integer factors of 13.

Prime factorization is the process of finding the set of prime factors of a given integer. For the example of
12 above, whereas 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12 are the factors of 12, 2 and 3 are the only prime factors. See that 4
and 6 are each composite numbers, that is, they can be expressed as the product of one or more primes:
4 = 2·2 and 6 = 2·3. So then, 2 and 3 are the only prime factors of 12, that is, 12 can be expressed as
2·2·3. Similarly, the prime factors of 60 are 2, 3, and 5 because 60 = 2·2·3·5.

The prime factor tree for 60 looks like this:

60

2 30

2 15

The prime factors of 60 are 2, 3, and 5. 3 5

(a) List the first twelve prime numbers (1 is not considered to be prime).

(b) Find the prime factors for the following integers. Two of these integers are prime, the rest are
composite.

1) 120 7) 2772

2) 45 8) 210

3) 126 9) 251

4) 131 10) 1200

5) 98 11) 156

6) 280 12) 102