Topic: Rate of Change in Context: a Lesson Study in Calculus at the University of Wisconsin at River Falls
Discipline(s) or Field(s): Mathematics
Authors: Laurel Langford, Alexandru Tupan, Ioana Ghenciu, Don Leake, University of Wisconsin – River Falls
Submission Date: May 5, 2007
Executive Summary: Our goal is for students to better understand rate of change in context, including the skills of moving flexibly between algebraic and graphical representations and analyzing behaviors given information about the rate of change. In this lesson, students practice these skills in concrete examples using average rate of change, as a preparation for doing similar work with derivatives. These activities are at an appropriate level, with some review, and some critical thinking work, and they prompt valuable discussion among students about rates of change.
Below are links to materials used to teach the lesson.
- Lesson Description and Materials – The lesson as taught by the lesson study team
- Revised Lesson – The lesson as revised in response to our observations
- Sample student work – This file contains scanned portions of student work from the lesson
- A video clip showing part of the lesson as first taught by a member of the Calculus: Rate of Change lesson study group.