Exponential FUNctions - Growth and Decay

Today we started exponential functions and I thought I'd share my notes, activity and next day warm-up with you.

I would like to preface this post with today is the Monday after Spring Break, most students (and teachers :-) ) seemed to have forgotten the basics.  

Student: How do I know if it is growth or decay?  
Me: What does the problem say?
Student:  Well it's increasing...
Me: Both inwardly and verbally... **Sigh**

This is how my whole day went but luckily the material was pretty easy for them to grasp.  

My colleague, Mrs. Villarreal prepared some notes that were fabulous for Growth and Decay and shared them with me.  I, of course, had to 'FONT' them up and added a few fill in the blanks for guided notes.  I also have this really strange 'absolutely cannot stand comic sans font' affliction.  I don't know why I have it but it is a very real thing that generally means I have to change every resource ever done to a different font!  Her original notes are available in Word and PDF for FREE.  Thank you so much for sharing Mrs. V!!

My revised notes below are available in both Word and PDF.  The font I used in Word is KG Payphone which you can download from Dafont.com here for FREE!  I also changed the interest formula to the continual interest formula per some earlier discussion with colleagues.  I wrote more about it here which also has notes and an activity.

Here is the key as well:

The notes went exceptionally well but my students have seen this before.  I taught exponential functions quite different when I taught Algebra and they have only been in our Algebra 1 Curriculum for 3 years now.  The first year was one of those 'learned them while the kids did' years!  Luckily I found a great resource online from a teacher who shared and it made all the difference.  I followed this link and found a wealth of knowledge.  I'll post all the ones we've used in a later post.  It is one of those I researched the sharer and personally e-mailed to thank them.

For the activity, another fabulous resource from one of my favorite Teachers-Pay-Teachers go to sellers, Algebra Accents.  In this activity she has 48 problems!  24 open ended and 24 multiple choice.  Well worth the $3 investment!  Since it is a newer TEK in Texas for Algebra 1, finding appropriately leveled problems for our students can be a challenge so I am all about the convenience and would have spent more that $3 of my time creating something.

I prepared it by printing one colorful set of the open ended task cards and a different color set of the multiple choice ones.  I laminated them and stacked them in the back of the class.  Students had an answer sheet for both colors and could work at their own pace.  The problems are fantastic!

I'm planning on continuing the cards tomorrow with the following Warm-Up:

The instructions read: 

Label each equation and graph as linear, quadratic or exponential.  Then match the graph with its equation.

One of our TEKS is comparing the different functions and I thought this a nice reminder before our next lesson over graphing.  Download it in Word or PDF for FREE!  The font I used in word is Harry P available on Dafont.com here for FREE!  I know, it's just a title but I have a problem... at least I admit it :-)

Hope you had a great weekend!  As always, please fell free to contact me with any questions and feel free to share!  

Thanks,

Lisa

Turkeys and/or Peacocks in High School?!?!?

I love crafting!! And as a result, my students get to too!  I had some interactions with kids earlier this semester where they expressed the idea that my activities are elementary or 'lame'.  I told them 'No problem, you can do the plain white not plain worksheet!' To which, I might add, they did not choose :-)   I think it is often overlooked that our older and more mature students have creative sides that we can foster and often have pleasant or even surprising results from.

A lot of times in high school, we feel so rushed that we often don't have time for elaborate activities.  Honestly, the worksheet had a lot more problems than the 'Turkey' activity but the work produced on the turkey was incredible!  How often do your students finish 9 problems of hard work?  Even students that often do not participate in class got in to making the turkeys.

I loved how they expressed their creative sides while finding domain and range.  I was surprised how hard they worked on completing the questions.

I gave notes that I've adapted from Sarah Carter at https://mathequalslove.blogspot.com/search?q=domain+and+range.

I've attached my resources here.  First off, these are math models students so this was not initial instruction just for reference.  I've also included a Peacock Template in case you want to do this later in the year or for review.  I actually had developed this for a different lesson before realizing that we would not get to it before break!  #teacherproblems

I had each group or pair pick up a pair of feathers from each of the 4 colors.  Each page has two problems paired together so you may cut in half.  I did not want them all doing the same problems.  They then solved their set.  In the folder, I have included a blank answer key for you to fill out as you prefer for notation and it makes it quicker when monitoring.  Also, for differentiation, you could make sure certain pairs or students receive the same set.

Of course, I also wanted one of those pesky discrete domain and range word problems so I did that on the background!  I did take 2 days to complete this activity because I wanted them to have plenty of time.

Overall, this was so successful that Geometry decided to use it for some triangle theorem. I'm very proud of the work done and finished as were the kids.  Some even took theirs home to put on the fridge!