Lesson Plan for Review of Area under a Curve (Lesson 2)

Name: Danny DeWolf

Date: October 30, 2014
Grade Level: 10th-12th
Course: Pre-Calculus
Time Allotted: 50 minutes
Number of Students: 25
I.

II.

III.

IV.

V.

Goals
To review what the students have learned so far about area under a curve and
piecewise functions
To be comfortable representing the estimation of an area under a curve into a
summation.
Objectives
Students will be able to transform an area under the curve into a summation.
Students will be able to calculate and estimate of an area under a curve with the
proper information given.
Students will be able to graph a piecewise function correctly.
Materials and Resources
Smart Board
Microsoft Surface Tablet
Packets for the students (25)
Motivation
Start the lesson by talking about what we have been doing for the past few weeks
with trying to find an area under a curve and representing that into a summation.
Since this is a review day, this would be a good time as well to ask the students if
they have any questions before we move on to some review problems.
Talk to the students that these problems in the packet that they are about to receive
are going to be similar to the ones on the test coming up. This will hopefully make
them understand the importance of the packet and want to work on it.
Transition: While passing out the packets to each student, go over the expectations
of the day. Tell the students that they are able to work with the students in their
group, but conversations should be math related and they shouldnt be working on
anything else. Also, the first problem will be done all together, so make sure they
know that.
Lesson Procedure
Start the packet with the first question and do this question as a class. Students
struggled with this type of problem on the quiz, so make sure to answer any
questions students may have about this problem.
Students before have just graphed both equations of the piecewise function, so a key
component to talk about is when the equation starts and ends. In this case, the two
equations will connect at x = -2 and that is the first equation stops and the second
one starts (possibly go into when open and closed circles will be used if you think
this is a good idea).

VI.

Based on the first question, go over the second problem with the entire class or
individually first. If it seems like they understood the first problem then go over this
quickly as a class, but if the students are struggling, have them do the problem
individually and then go over it as a class.
For this problem, the whole graph should just shift to the left one unit. It is important
to ask the students, What would happen if we had f(x-1)? This should be a fairly
easy question but this will be an assessment of how well they actually know what
happens when there is an addition or subtraction of x.
The next two problems are using the same question, so at this point it is a good idea
to have students work on these two problems together with their group members. As
said before, state the expectation clearly that they have to be working on this and
talking about the problems.
This problem has them use left-endpoints to estimate the area under a curve and
then transform that into a summation. They should be familiar with these types of
problems so they should know how to start it, but the students may get stuck on
some parts.
This is where the teacher should be going around to the tables to make sure that
each group understands the problem and is doing it correctly. The teacher needs to
make sure to go to every group so that he/she can fully see how the entire class
understands the material.
After mostly everyone is done with the problems, come back together and go over
them as a class. Make sure to address any issues that some students had because
other students may have had the same problem when solving them. Another thing
that should be emphasized is when doing the summation that it goes from 0 to n-1
because it is left-endpoints. This will most likely be best shown by showing the
students on the graph where is starts and ends.
Once the teacher is done going over those problems, the students can work on the
next 2 problems with their group members. Make sure the students read the first
problem carefully because it wants them to find the total area and not just an
estimate of the area. They will know the shapes that the graph makes, so they can
easily find the area under the curve.
Once again the teacher should walk from each group checking everyones
understanding of the problems and helping those who may need extra help.
After this, come back together as a class and have the teacher go quickly through
the problems and address any confusion the problems may have had.
Then have the students work on the final two problems of the packet if time allows.
They can work in their groups again and the teacher will be circling around helping
each group and checking for understanding.
The last problem is what the class did the day before, so there still may be a little
confusion on that.
When the class is mostly done, come back together and have the teacher go over
the last two problems with an emphasis on the last problem.
After the teacher has gone over all the problems, this is a time for students to ask
any final questions that they may have because these are problems that will most
likely be seen on their test soon. If there are no questions, or when finished with the
questions, move on to the closing of the lesson.
Closure
Before the students leave the class, have the students do the exit slip which is
printed on the last page of the packet.
This exit slip will be handed in to the teacher for an assessment of what they know.

VII.

Extensions
If some students are going through the packet rather quickly while others are behind,
have those students work ahead in the packet. There is a possibility of not finishing
the packet anyway, so this students may work ahead.
If all the material is done early, then have the students work on extra problems with
right and left-endpoints. These can be any problems, so the teacher can make them
up. If students are way ahead of others, they may work on the homework as well.
VIII. Assessment
The teacher walking around the classroom while the students are working on the
packet will be an important assessment of what the students know and what they
need more help with.
Also, the exit slip will help to see if the students can apply their knowledge to an
abstract problem.
Lastly, there will a homework assignment that will be due the next day when they
walk into class.
IX.
Standards
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.IF.C.7
Graph functions expressed symbolically and show key features of the graph, by hand
in simple cases and using technology for more complicated cases.