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

Exponential Function FUN with The Money Project!

Last week, on Friday, I realized I need one more major grade for this nine weeks.... and only had one week to get in a new unit and major grade!  No pressure at all.

Our next unit was Exponential functions.  Our curriculum for Math Models deviates quite a bit from Algebra 1 on Exponential Functions (which I have only taught twice before....).  While we are still going to work on the basics, they have a very finance/social science driven curriculum.  Enter: interest rates!  I have never taught them, only had students use them in a senior level course I have taught before.

So Monday when I entered the school and was in a 'hadn't had my coffee need a major grade quick' phase... one of my colleagues recommended a finance project she had.  It seriously covered almost every single TEK (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills- our state Curriculum Standards) I needed for the entire unit!

Project picked, I needed some notes.  In discussion, I learned that almost all interest is now compounded continuously as oppose to our standard Simple and Compound that I've always used.  I searched for some interactive notebook items but came up blank.  I couldn't even find a graphic that explained what exactly the e value in the Pert formula was!

I created this one and am really happy with how it came out.  My students just needed a reference for what everything is.  I was not wanting super intense notes.

Here is the entire project for FREE if you are interested.  This is courtesy my fabulous co-worker, Mrs. Shirly Boots for the original and inspiration.  I added a little more detail as I am making it a major grade and needed a clear rubric and wanted to try and add a little more detail for the students.

In the project, they will draw random amounts from me to use.  I did a variety of amounts $100-$500 and another from $5,000-$9,000.  I've included the amounts in the file as well for you.

As always, these are in both editable and PDF format because of my different font loves! 

Follow Up to my activity.... I am definitely going to 'tweak' the project for next year.  I'm going to make them choose the 2 investments and apply them to both starting amount for an apples to apples comparison.  They will also graph them separately.  I'll share that as well when I complete it.

Please let me know if you see any corrections or have anything to add.

Thank you!

Lisa