Concept Attainment Lesson

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Concept Attainment Lesson

• F U N C T I O N S

iMET Quads Loren Alldrin Terri Burke Sharmaine
Grove Don Isbell Marlon Nance
Instructions
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• WHAT IS A FUNCTION?

Certain types of mathematical equationsand their
resulting graphsare called functions. All
functions have one main characteristic in
common. Looking at the examples to follow,
can you figure out what it is?
3
?
NO
YES
4
?
NO
YES
5
?
NO
YES
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Have you spotted any similarities or
characteristics that separate the YES graphs
from the NO graphs?
Here come some more examples
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?
NO
YES
8
?
NO
YES
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Do you have an idea what distinguishes the YES
graphs from the NO graphs? Write out your idea
(your hypothesis) on the Functions Handout.
Now, see if your hypothesis holds up in light of
the remaining examples
10
?
YES
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NO
12
NO
13
?
YES
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Did your theory still hold true for the last
examples? Did you have to change it to
accommodate the new graphs? If necessary, revise
your hypothesis and write it in the second box of
your Functions Handout.
Now its time to see if your hypothesis was
correct.
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?
NO
YES
Y
Y
Y
X
X
In all the YES graphs, every value of X
generates only one possible value for Y.
In the NO graphs, some values of X result in
more than one value of Y.
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F U N C T I O N ?
Y
Ysin(X)
X
?
YES!
A mathematical equation that generates one
distinct output (Y value) for every input (X
value) is called a function.
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On your Functions Handout, draw two graphs that
might represent functions. Then, draw two that
cant represent functions.
HEAD-SCRATCHER
Could the graph of a function ever result in a
vertical line?
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End of presentation
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• INSTRUCTIONS

This Concept Attainment lesson on Functions
requires PowerPoint 2000 to be installed on your
PC or Macintosh computer. This presentation
includes animations within specific slides, with
many of these self-timed. You control the pace of
the overall delivery, however, by manually
triggering some animations and advancing from one
slide to the next. You can do this by clicking
your mouse button or tapping the space bar on
your keyboard.
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