Single Subject Lesson Plan Template

Lesson Title/Subject:

Introduction to Functions
Standards:
Understand the concept of a function and use function notation.
1.
Understand that a function from one set (called the domain) to another set
(called the range) assigns to each element of the domain exactly one element of the
range. If f is a function and x is an element of its domain, then f(x) denotes the
output of f corresponding to the input x.
2.
Use function notation, evaluate functions for inputs in their domains, and
interpret statements that use function notation in terms of a context.

Purpose/Rationale
SWBAT use terminology used with functions
SWBAT describe functions with one operation in English Sentences, data tables and
with simple algebraic.

Background Knowledge
Students must be able to perform integer and fractional arithmetic.
Warm-Up: Have the warm up problems of graphing linear equations to recall prior
knowledge as functions are closely related to linear equations.

*Instructional Objectives:

Assessment (formal/informal)

SWBAT use terminology to interpret

functions from table values to
English sentences and from table
values into mathematical
expressions.
SWBAT construct a function with one
from set (Input) to another set
(Output) using tables.

Whiteboards
Call for answers
Observation of work
Homework
Whiteboards
Call for answers
Observation of work
Homework

SWBAT
*Language Objectives:

Assessment (formal/informal)

SWBAT verbally explain the meaning

of functions, inputs, outputs, and
data tables in the context of word
problems.
SWBAT interpret a graph by labelling
all different aspects of a functioning
using correct terminology.

Informal-Call on students to
provide answers.
Class Discussion
Whiteboards
Call on people for answers
Homework.

Materials and Safety Precautions (if applicable)

Pencil
Paper
Whiteboard
Markers
Worksheet with Table Values
Accommodations for special needs, advanced and English language
learners (What specific accommodations, scaffolds or strategies will you use to
help the identified students? How will instruction be differentiated to meet the needs
of all students, including advanced learners? This should be different for each lesson
and tailored to the content and learning activities planned.)

Procedures
Remind the students what we have been learning in the previous
lessons will be relevant to this lesson and begin to talk about the
words and ideas about this lesson.

Focus Lesson:
Teacher (Me): We are going to study functions by using a model. Let me draw a
machine, which can be anything with two openings. Arrows show "In" and "Out"
directions.
ON THE WHITE BOARD: DRAW A BOX WITH ONE ARROW GOING INTO
THE BOX AND ON THE OPPOSITE END, PUT AN ARROW OUT OF THE
BOX.
MACHINE

Student: What are the X and Y for?

Teacher (Me): X and Y are traditional names for input and output and for the
numbers that we put into the machine and the number that the machines puts out. A
number goes in, the machine does something to it, and another number comes out.
The function machine does the same thing to every number. Sometimes we just call
it "function" for short.
This is how the machine works: the directions are written in a special code people
use for functions. Let's use this special code for an example: X + 2 = Y.
Teacher (Me): So, what is your number?

Student: 5.
Teacher (Me): (POINT TO THE EQUATION) The function machine does
something to 5, and out comes 7.
Ask for another number
Student: 12.
Teacher (Me): In comes 12, out comes 14.
Students should identify the functionality of the machine
Student: It adds 2!
Teacher (Me): You have revealed the secret of this function. You are able to
understand mathematical language.
Draw another machine on the board
Teacher (Me): Here is another machine. Try to find out what this one does! Give me
some numbers.
Student: 3.
Teacher (Me): In comes 3, out goes 6.
Students might want to guess.
Student: It adds 3?
Teacher (Me): Try another number just to check.
Student: 10.
Teacher (Me): In comes 10, out goes 20.
Student: 5.
Teacher (Me): 10.
Students star to follow the pattern.
Student: It is multiplying by 2.
Teacher (Me): Can you think of some other function machines?
Have students come with up functions of their own.

Give example of the soda machine.

Guided Instruction
Have the students construct machines to test each other with. Start them with single
operation machines, and suggest that they build tables for the input and output pairs.
Make sure to establish the importance of putting the input first as ordered pairs are
enclosed with paratheses and a comma.
(X,Y)

Give them one or two tables with a few outputs for them to fill in. Ask them to
describe in words what the function does. For Example:
Input

Output

Input

Output

-1

-1

-15

-3

-1

-7

12

-2

-5

-11

-2

10

10

-9

-7

After they practice describing functions in English sentences, discuss the proper notation
of letting a letter (often but not always X) stand in for the input and another (often but not
always Y) stand in for the output. Have the students write all their earlier functions as
algebra rules with X as input and Y as output.

Formalize the terminology:

Variable-A letter standing in for an unknown or changeable number
Independent Variable-The input into a function, often represented by x.
Dependent Variable-The output from a function, often represented by y.
Functions-A process that takes one or more numbers as input and produces a single
number as output

Independent Learning
I will give out sheets with many table of values. An example:
Input

-4

Output

-1

Have them write the functions they work with in two ways:
English sentence
Algebra Rule
Have them try to think of situations in their lives that might be governed by some of the
functions they worked with. For example,
Y=X+1
might be the function describing growing one year older on your birthday.
Y=X*2
might be the function "everything tastes twice as good during the holiday."