Douglas Harrington

TE 804 Spring 2012

Unit Plan Reflection

Schedule of Lessons

* Note: Class periods are 95 minutes each so there may be multiple lessons linking to another topic per
day.

Description of how
Lesson Learning
Lesson Topic lesson contributes to Tasks/Activities for the Lesson
Objective(s)
unit level objectives

Exponential Growth Students will develop Students organically See Tasks/Activities section
1. Growth Factor an exponential function construct exponential at end of document.
2. Growth Rate from a series of form using the context
measurements. focusing on initial
(1 Day) amounts and the way
Students will recognize the disease is
the difference between growing/mutating.
growth factor and
growth rate. Students identify the
factor and the amount of
Observe using graphs times the factor appears
and tables that a as the exponent on the
quantity increasing base. The base is no
exponentially eventually longer the variable, but
exceeds a quantity rather the exponent is
increasing linearly, the number which varies
quadratically, or (more the number of times
generally) as a the base factor appears.
polynomial function.
Looking at the growth
patterns, students will
begin to generalize
about minima/maxima
and their existence.

(1/3/4)

Exponential Decay Students will develop Using the exponential See Tasks/Activities section
1. Decay Factor an exponential function form generated from the at end of document.
2. Decay Rate from a series of previous day, students
measurements. will link the presence of Task finishes with discussion
(1/2 Day) a fraction to decay of situations identified by
Students will conjecture losing an amount each students to be exponential
about the relationship day. growth or decay.
between the base value
and whether the Since the radioactive
function is exponential material is breaking
growth or decay. down, by losing half
each day, students can
Students will relate begin to conceptualize
 exponential growth to why the decay will never
real-life phenomena of reach zero.
their own choosing.
The decay causes the
difference between
successive points to
decrease or, in other
words, the numbers are
multiplied by a constant
fractional factor.

Students also start to

break down the
difference between
percent
increase/decrease vs. a
constant integer factor.

Students are generating

these conclusions from
a multitude of contexts.

The introduction of the

limit will occur here as
students begin to
conceptualize how the
graph is approaching a
certain value though not
reaching it.

(1/3/4)

Graphing Exponential Students will conjecture This is simply an Assessment:

Functions about the relationship assessment of the Moving between
between the base value previous activities. representations focusing on
Skills-based and whether the Students will be given a from a ________ to a graph:
summative assessment function is exponential graph, a table, and a 1. Function
of last two class periods growth or decay. function in which they 2. Table
need to discuss domain, 3. Description/Context
(1/2 Day) Students will move range, asymptotes, and
Part of Exponential between growth/decay.
Decay representations of
functions algebraic,
contextual, graphical,
and etc. (1/3/4)

Compound Interest Students will use the Students will develop See Tasks/Activities section
properties of exponents the notion of at end of document.
* Actual lesson to transform compounded-ness
schedule flip-flopped expressions for through conversation
compound interest exponential functions. and exploration
and same-base For example the summing amount
equations to coincide expression 1.15t can be before applying interest
with the work students rewritten as each period.
were producing; (1.151/12)12t
however, this was the 1.01212t to reveal the Using same factors,
idea. approximate equivalent students can use
monthly interest rate if exponents to begin to
(1 Day) the annual rate is 15%. approximate investment
opportunities.

Connection to same-
base equations.

(2)

Same-Base Equations Students will use Students breakdown See Tasks/Activities section
properties of exponents different factors into at end of document.
The end serves as the to find equality in their prime (or most
launching point for problems with different basic) numbers and
logarithmic functions bases bases where reason that same base
an example where the they are multiples of the allow for equality of
bases cannot easily be same prime number. exponents. Students will
seen as equal. also hypothesize where
such assumptions may
(1 Day) be false.

Showing equality
through exponents all
questions ease into the
notion of rewriting for
simplification. Students
can conceptualize how
visually different
mutations can actually
result in the same
number of victims.

Throwing in unequal
bases can allow
students to begin to
approximate exponent
values and lead into the
introduction of
logarithms and the
change of base
property.

(2)

Task/Activities

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

Name: __________________________________ Class: __________________ Date: ______________

Day 1 Research: The Disease Wont Stop Growing!

Student X has just passed the virus to one other classmate. Current research has placed the number at 4 for the
number of humans each infected human can infect. Should we begin panicking or is the spread slow enough to
avoid a catastrophe?

1. Think about the situation and create a visual aid to show the spread across a number days (for example:
chart, graph, picture, diagram).

2. Will our whole school be suffering (or deceased) from Coughing Veins in 12 days? What should be
our panic level? (Assume our school has 500 persons.)

3. Come up with a description that will help us figure out how fast this disease can spread for a given
number days, such as n days.

4. Describe how you came up with your solution.

Name: __________________________________ Class: __________________ Date: ______________

Day 1 Research: The Fall of the Human Race?

So far, we have looked at the spread of the disgusting Coughing Veins disease and found that we are in a
world of trouble if we cant find a way to stop it. But what is happening to our race? Are we on our way out of
existence? Lets assume the outbreak began in Michigan which has a population of 9,969,727 persons.

Days Number of Humans Left

1. How many Michiganders are still alive after 5 days? What about 20 Days?

2. In what ways are the two situations mathematically related?

 3. Write a generalization (in other words a function) for the decline of the humans.

Name: __________________________________ Class: __________________ Date: ______________

Day 1 Research: The Disease is Mutating!

Our research indicates that variations of Coughing Veins are beginning to appear throughout the state of
Michigan. The scientists provided us with the equations, but we need to figure out what the equations say about
that particular strain of Coughing Veins.

Describe each function in terms of the spread of Coughing Veins.

1. () = 5(10 )

2. () = 2(41 )

3. () = 130 + 3(22 )

EXPONENTIAL DECAY

Name: __________________________________ Class: __________________ Date: ______________

Day 2 Research: The Stone is Decaying

Scientists have stated that the meteorite is breaking down at a rate half its size per day. As of today, the weight
is 25 kilograms. As the radioactive material decays, the powerful effects begin to dwindle. Use your knowledge
of exponential growth to determine how long it will take for the Solanum to reach a stable state where it does
not affect humans any longer.

1. After the fifth day, how much radioactive Solanum is left in the meteorite? (Creating a chart may help,
there are also scissors and paper to help visualize exactly what is happening.)

2. Create a graph describing the situation. What does the y-intercept of the graph tell us?

3. If the Solanum no longer affects humans at a weight of about 0.01 kilograms, how many days will it
take for stability to happen? [HI NT: If we quarantined the Solanum for 5 days, is that long enough?
What about 20 days?]

4. Apparently scientists also miscalculated the decay of the radioactive Solanum. Instead of halving each
day, the stone decays by 5% of its starting size each day. Write a function matching this description.
SAME-BASE EQUATIONS

Name: __________________________________ Class: __________________ Date: ______________

Day 3 Exploration: Meanest Diseases

A couple classes ago, we took some time to explain translations in exponential growth using mutations. Since
then, the disease has mutated what seems like an endless number of times each more sinister than the last.
Today, our job is to find on what day different mutations result in the same amount of infections. Each pair of
mutations is represented differently, so we will need to be creative with how we generate the equations.

1. Using the chart, write the function that describes the spread of new infections for this mutation:
Day Number of New Infections (Mutation A)
0 1
1 2
2 4
3 8

On what day will Mutation A infect 83 512 new victims?

2. On what day will Mutations B and C infect the same number of new victims?
Mutation B: () = 55
Mutation C: () = 125+2

3. On what day will Mutations D and E infect the same number of new victims?
Mutation D: () = 921
Mutation E: () = 36

4. On what day will Mutations F and G infect the same number of new victims?
Mutation F: () = 81+1
Mutation G: () = 33+1

5. Which mutation should the human race worry about the most? ______________________
How do you know?

6. On what day will Mutation H infect 724 people?

Mutation H: () = 4
 How is this problem different from the previous 5 questions?

COMPOUND INTEREST

Name: __________________________________ Class: __________________ Date: ______________

Day 4 Exploration: Prepping for Doomsday

Many people prepare for hard circumstances by saving money; however, at the end of the world, money doesnt
really mean much does it? So, instead of saving for the future, as the head of your family, you started saving for
the date, 01 January 2012. Taking out all of your monetary gains from banks in Michigan on this date would
give your family enough time to spend the money in preparation before the 22 December 2012 end of the world.
Lets say your doomsday fund began in 1997.

DIRECTIONS: Using the information sheet provided, answer all of the following questions.

Preliminary Question: What does compounded actually mean as in, The money was compounded
quarterly?

1. Consider the list of items provided. In order to create your fund, you sold all non-essential belongings.
Take some time and determine the non-essentials.

2. Add up the monetary worth of all your non-essential belongings. You have sold all of them at a silent
auction for the given values record the worth of your freed assets.

________________________

3. At first glance, which investment plan seems as if it will provide your family with the most monetary
gain? Why?

4. Using each plan, find the total worth of your investment from the time you opened the account.

5. Which investment opportunity provided you with the best financial position? Explain why you think that
investment gave the most?

6. Why is it beneficial to be compounding as much as possible? Use growth rate in your explanation.
 Doomsday Reference Sheet
List of Family Possessions and Values:

Possession Value ($) Possession Value ($)

Victorian-era Home 81,000 SUV 11 23,000
Mid-size Sedan 02 7,500 Antique Coin Collection 5,000
Refrigerator 500 Plasma TV 500
Furniture 2,000 Anti-Burglary System 200
Family Heirloom 300 Sports Memoralbilia 4,000
Canned Food 100 Dog 30
Cat (x5) 10 Social Security Number 5000
Baby Crib 100 Kidney (Black Market) 93,000
Cell Phone (x3) 300 Computer/Laptop (x2) 900

List of Investment Opportunities:

Institution Interest Rate (%) Compounded Min/Max Investment ($)

Prudential 11.7 Monthly 25,000/None
Vanguard 11.8 Bi-monthly 20,000/None
Edward Jones 11.8 Quarterly 35,000/None
Merill-Lynch 12 Annual 32,500/None
Your Rich Uncle N/A Doubles Investment When You Need It None/7,000