Form 6.

3: Course Outline with Assessment Ideas and Activities

Course Title: Nonlinear Functions and Equations
Module One: Nonlinear Functions
Objective
1. Define a function.

Assessment
Ideas
Discussion

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz in which

students must decide
if the example is a
function or not.

Using the definition of a function,

discuss different examples
explaining why they are or are not
functions.

2. Differentiate between
functions and non-functions.

Quiz

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz in which

students must decide
if the example is a
function or not.

Find real world examples of

functions and non-functions and
post to the discussion board
explaining each example.

3. Use function notation.

Quiz

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz in which

students must find
the requested
answer when given a
function.

Students use real life examples and

find requested information
presented in function notation.

4. Answer common questions

about functions that arise in
applied problems.

Discussion

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Given real world examples, discuss

various questions about specific
functions in non-math language.

5. Identify domain and range.

Quiz

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz in which

students must
identify the domain
and range of each
graph or equation.

Students work in groups with real

life examples determining the
domain and range of each.
Students must differentiate
between practical and theoretical.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Module Two: Graphing and Writing Equations of Quadratics

Objective
1. Find key points of a parabola
(x-intercepts, y-intercept,
and vertex) when given the
function in factored form.
2. Create rules for quadratic
functions based on given
properties such as xintercepts, y-intercepts,
vertex, and direction of
parabola.

Assessment
Ideas
Video
Presentation

Student
created quiz
with answer
key

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a video to teach classmates

how to find key points of parabola.

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a three question quiz along

with the answer key. One question
must use a y-intercept, one
question must use the vertex, and
one question must only specify a
direction of opening. Students
must take at least two classmates
quizzes and then provide feedback.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Module Three: Factoring and Expanding Quadratics

Objective
1. Factor quadratics using
greatest common factor.

Assessment
Ideas
Video
Presentation

2. Factor quadratics using

difference of squares.

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a video to teach classmates

how to factor using greatest
common factors. Students must
then watch two classmates videos
and give feedback.

Teach a
classmate

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create four examples. Then teach a

classmate, assuming they have
never done it before. Then provide
feedback.

3. Factor trinomials when a

equals 1.

Student
created quiz
with answer
key

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a three question quiz along

with the answer key. . Students
must take at least two classmates
quizzes and then provide feedback.

4. Factor trinomials when a

does not equal 1.

Video
Presentation

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a video to teach classmates

how to factor trinomials when a
does not equal 1. Watch at least
two classmates videos and provide
feedback.

5. Expand quadratics in
factored form.

Quiz

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz in which

students must write
answers in standard
form.

Given 3 factors or more, students

must use previous knowledge of
expanding to write in standard
form.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Module Four: Solving Quadratics

Objective
1. Solve by factoring.

Assessment
Ideas
Student
created study
guide

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a study guide that includes

all three types of factoring
problems and how to solve each
example. Review at least two
classmates study guides and
provide feedback.

2. Solve by isolating x2.

Student
created quiz
with answer
key

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a quiz with 5 different

examples along with an answer
key. Must take the quiz of at least
two other classmates and provide
feedback.

3. Solve with the quadratic

formula.

Video
Presentation

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a video in which the

quadratic equation is presented in
a new and different way could
include a story, a song, or any other
ideas that will provide a new way
to remember the formula.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Module Five: Solving nonlinear systems of equations

Objective
1. Estimate solutions of a
system involving a linear
function and an inverse
function using graphs.

Assessment
Ideas
Quiz

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz with

examples of different
graphs. Identify the
solutions.

Find an example of this in the real

world. Discuss how the solutions
relate to the example.

2. Find solutions of system

involving a linear function
and an inverse function
algebraically.

Video
Presentation

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a video presentation review

how to find solutions. Must
provide 3 distinct problems. Must
have an example of one solution,
two solutions, and no real
solutions. Watch at least two
classmates videos and provide
feedback.

3. Estimate solutions of a
system involving a linear
function and a quadratic
function using graphs.

Quiz

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz with

examples of different
graphs. Identify the
solutions.

Find an example of this in the real

world. Discuss how the solutions
relate to the example.

4. Find solutions of system

involving a linear function
and a quadratic function
algebraically.

Students create
real world
example with a
solution.

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a real world example.

Provide a description of each
equation. Provide a solution.
Complete at least two classmates
problems and provide feedback.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

Module Six: Common Logarithms

Objective
1. Recognize what is meant by
taking the common
logarithm of a real number.

Assessment
Ideas
Discussion

Absorb

Do

Connect

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Discuss situations in which a

number could not be written as a
power of 10. Give examples of
numbers that can be written as a
power of 10 with an explanation of
how to do it connect with
common logarithm.

2. Rewrite any real number as a

power of 10 by finding
common logarithms.

Quiz

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Take a quiz with ten

different examples.

Discuss how to estimate what the

common logarithm of a number
would be without the use of a
calculator. Explain a method to do
so without just guess and check.

3. Use common logarithms to

solve exponential equations,
both in and out of context.

Video
Presentation

Watch class lesson;

participate in class
discussion, read class
notes.

Practice problems.

Create a video teaching your

classmates how to solve
exponential equations using
common logarithms. You must use
three examples and provide a real
life example as well.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.