Teachers Name: Erin O'Halloran

Grade Level: 9th grade

Date of Lesson: 11/29/16

Topic: Identifying Linear Functions

Lesson Objectives:
Identify linear functions from tables, graphs, or equations
Write linear functions in standard form
Graph linear functions in standard form using intercepts
Assessments:
Formatives: Kahoot I will be able to assess what percentage of students understand the
process
Formative: Socrative Students will reflect on what they did for the day and will answer a
question on finding intercepts.
Standards and Rationale:
CCSS A.REI.10 Understand the graph of an equation in two variables is the set of all its
solutions plotted on a coordinate plane.
CCSS F.IF.7 Graph functions expressed symbolically and show key features of graphs, by
hand in simple cases a) Graph linear functions and show intercepts,.
Teaching and Learning Sequence: (78 minute block)
- Video about Linear functions (5 minutes)
o http://study.com/academy/lesson/identifying-relationships-between-functionsgraphs.html
o Until 1:56
- 4.1 Review for Mastery pg. 1 & 4.1 Applied problem (25 minutes)
o Think-Pair-Share: Have students read through Review for Mastery
Worksheet pg. 1. Work with a partner to come up with 3 bullet points. Share
results with the class.
o Work with a neighbor to complete the applied problem on the back.
o Questions:
Pg. 1: How many points do you need to define a line?
Pg. 2: In the example, why isnt every point on the line a solution?
Pg. 2: What is the domain and range of this function?
Pg. 2: Is the function continuous or discrete? How do you know?
- Kahoot Linear or non-linear? (15 minutes)
o Students might need scrap paper.
- 4.2 Notes Direct Instruction (20 minutes)
- (If time) Individual Practice (23 minutes)
o Classwork: p. 241-242 #24, 26, 29, 34-38, 43-46
o Challenge worksheet
- Closer: Socrative Exit Ticket (10 minutes)
o On Google Classroom
o Teacher question: What are the intercepts of the function 3x + 4y = -12
- Homework: 4.2 Standard Form Worksheet
Materials and Technology:
Word wall words: y-intercept, x-intercept, linear function
4.1 Review for Mastery pg. 1 & Applied problem
4.2 Challenge worksheet
4.2 Standard Form Worksheet
Student computers/phones
Projector

Teachers Name: Erin O'Halloran

Grade Level: 9th grade

Date of Lesson: 11/29/16

Topic: Identifying Linear Functions

Apple TV

The personal reflection contains actual examples of

high level, mid-level and low-level student work.
Self-Reflection
Overall, I think that the lesson went really well. Students were confident in all of the
lesson objectives and that was evident the next day in class when we reviewed identifying
linear functions and finding x- and y-intercepts.
I wanted to focus on establishing a culture for learning so that students can feel
comfortable and learn to their best abilities. Students were engaged for the 80-minute block
with the occasional redirection of some students. It was clear that students knew that there
were high expectations for the culture of the classroom because they would get right to work.
There is a routine to the class where students do an opener every day in this case, it was
to watch a video together as a class. There were times when there were high levels of
student energy, like when we played Kahoot or had the discrete vs. continuous discussion.
It is hard to have high levels of student energy for an entire 80-minute block so having a few
activities to get students excited about math is important for engagement.
Another area I focused on for this lesson was using questioning and discussion
techniques. During the part of the lesson where students were answering an applied
problem, I asked questions about the data being discrete or continuous and about what the
appropriate domain and range. This included students using prior knowledge and applying it
to real world and new situations. I feel like I have gotten better about wait time, especially
with deeper questioning, however, I am trying to teach students about wait time as well.
There are a few students who blurt out what they are thinking without giving other students a
chance to form their own opinion. As freshmen, this might be hard for them to do, but I will
still continue to prompt students. For example, I will tell students to answer the question in
their head and raise their hand. It is also difficult for students to be able to formulate highlevel questions as a freshman. It may be possible for a few students to be able to create
high-level questions, but it would be a great goal for students to get to that level as they grow
as mathematicians.
I was very impressed with some of my students high-level work when they were
discussing the difference between discrete and continuous and how to write a domain for a
real-world discrete scenario. I observed higher-level thinking in the sense of students
discussing with their neighbors their opinions and having viable arguments for their beliefs.
For mid-level student work, the vast majority of students performed well on the Kahoot
game, which had students select if a function in different representations was linear or nonlinear. This could be considered mid-level because students wouldnt need to explain why a
function would be linear or non-linear; they were just expected to identify the function.
Students had an exit ticket that they filled out online. The questions on the exit ticket asked
students to reflect on what they learned for the lesson about x- and y-intercepts and how to
find the x- and y-intercepts of a linear function in standard form. There were some students
who reflected about the lesson saying that they feel confident in the new material and they
learned a lot, but they could not start the process to find the x- and y-intercept of the function
in standard form. Looking at the exit tickets, I knew that I would be going over their
homework assignment the next class.