Teacher: Ansley Lindstrom Date: October 30th, 2018

School: Poudre High School Grade Level: 9th-12th Grade Content Area: AP Calculus

Title: Limits at Infinity Lesson #:_1_ of --_1_

Lesson Idea/Topic and I am going to be teaching limits at infinity.

Rational/Relevance: What are
you going to teach and why is this
lesson important to these
students? What has already
happened in this classroom
surrounding the subject you will
be teaching? What do students
already know? Why are you going
to teach this topic now (how does
it fit in the curricular sequence)?
What teaching methods/strategy
will you be use and why?
This lesson is important because it is a key
concept in calculus. With this information a
student can determine if a function diverges
or converges to a value as the function
approaches infinity. With this information
you can determine the behavior of a series,
for example, without evaluating it infinitely
many times. Students will have already
calculated limits at specific values.
Students already know how to take a
derivative of a function and evaluate it at a
certain point. They also have learned the
first and second derivative test. I am going
to teach this now because students will
have the proper knowledge to evaluate
limits at infinity and use l’Hopitals rule. I will
be using an interactive lesson because
students will need to be given proper
instruction/explanation to be able to
understand the concept. They will also
need examples and allowed time to
process and work through the information.

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson: (Write Content Standards directly from the standard)

EK 1.1A2: The concept of a limit can be extended to include one-sided limits, limits at infinity, and infinite
limits.
EK 1.1C3: Limits of the indeterminate forms and may be evaluated using L’Hospital’s Rule.

Key Vocabulary:
● Derivative: slope
● Limit
● Indeterminate form
● Finite/ Infinite limits
● Horizontal asymptotes
● l’Hopitals rule

Understandings: (Big Ideas)

The concept of a limit can be used to determine the behavior of functions.

Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of instruction, select
applicable questions from standard)

What is a limit?
Why can a limit determine the behavior of a function?
What is a function of indeterminate form?

Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets) AND (Success Criteria)

I can:
● I can determine the limit of a function.
● I can deduce and interpret the behavior of a function using limits.
This means:
● I understand that the limit of a function may be found by using algebraic manipulation.
● Limits of the indeterminate forms 0/0 and infinity/infinity may be evaluated using L’Hospital’s Rule.
● I understand that asymptotic and unbounded behavior of functions can be explained and
described using limits.

List of Assessments: (Note whether the assessment is formative or summative)

● In class examples: formative

● Homework assignment: formative
● Pre/Post Test: formative
Planned Lesson Activities

Name and Purpose of Lesson Limits at infinity. The purpose of this lesson is to develop an
Should be a creative title for you and understanding of functions as they approach infinity. Students
the students to associate with the should be able to determine the behavior of a function that
activity. Think of the purpose as the
diverges or converges.
mini-rationale for what you are trying
to accomplish through this lesson.

Approx. Time and Materials Pre-test: Sheet of paper (5 minutes).

How long do you expect the activity to Bulk of Lesson: Powerpoint, interactive tv/ Smart Board (70
last and what materials will you need? minutes)
Post-test: Same sheet of paper (5 minutes).

Anticipatory Set The “hook” I am choosing to grab students attention is to take

The “hook” to grab students’ attention.
These are actions and statements by the
teacher to relate the experiences of the
students to the objectives of the lesson,
To put students into a receptive frame
of mind.
● To focus student attention on
the lesson.
● To create an organizing
framework for the ideas,
principles, or information that
is to follow (advanced
organizers)
An anticipatory set is used any time a
different activity or new concept is to
a small pre-test. This pre-test will be composed of two
problems where students will be asked to determine the limit
of a function as it approaches infinity. They will not be
expected to know the answers to these problems but try their
best to think through them without the help of a calculator.
This will get students to start thinking about the concept
before we discuss it. It will also get them in the right frame of
mind to receive this information because they will have
developed questions through trying to evaluate the limit on
their own first. I will also ask them to annotate their work and
write down any points of confusion.
1. Limit as x approaches infinity of f(x) where f(x)=(x-
1)/(3x+1)
 be introduced.
How do you intend to engage your
students in thinking during the
Anticipatory Set?
Why are you using it at this point in
your lesson?
Procedures
(Include a play-by-play account of what
students and teacher will do from the
minute they arrive to the minute they
leave your classroom. Indicate the
length of each segment of the lesson.
List actual minutes.)
Indicate whether each is:
-teacher input
-modeling
-questioning strategies
-guided/unguided:
-whole-class practice
-group practice
-individual practice
-check for understanding
-other
How do you intend to engage your
students in thinking during the
PROCEDURE?
Why are you using it at this point in
your lesson?
2. Limit as x approaches infinity of f(x) where f(x)=3/x^2
The strategy I intend to use is a pre-test.
I am using this because I want students to start questioning
and developing ideas before the solution is given to them.
Take Attendance
Pre-Test: Students will individually try to work through
questions regarding limits at infinity and annotate their work
and address their points of confusion. Individual practice,
questioning
Lecture: We will go through the slides on limits at infinity as a
group working through the problems as students take notes
on the example problems and theorems. Students will be
asked to turn and talk to the person next to them about
answers they got and how they solved the problem. Teacher
input, whole-class practice, individual practice.
Post test: Students will use the same piece of paper to
solve/complete the problems that they might not have been
able to do before given information. Individual practice.
The strategy I intend to use is engaging students is an
interactive lecture.
It is important that they do get the information by thorough
explanation because “plugging” in infinity to an equation is not
an intuitive concept and cannot be solved how limits at
specific values may be solved.
 Closure A few minutes before the end of the lesson, I will bring the
Those actions or statements by a students back together and ask them to solve the same
teacher that are designed to bring a questions they were given at the beginning of class. Based on
lesson presentation to an appropriate
the lecture they should be able to solve these problems and
conclusion. Used to help students bring
things together in their own minds, to
answer questions on their point of confusion.
make sense out of what has just been
taught. “Any Questions? No. OK, let’s
move on” is not closure. Closure is used:
● To cue students to the fact
that they have arrived at an
important point in the lesson
or the end of a lesson.
● To help organize student
learning
To help form a coherent picture and to
consolidate.

How do you intend to engage your
students in thinking during CLOSURE?
Why are you using it at this point in
your lesson?
The strategy I intend to use is personal reflection.
I am using this strategy here because: it is a way to bring the
lesson to a close where students can reflect on their current
knowledge and address their own points of confusion.

To differentiate the lesson I will give appropriate time for

Differentiation: students to think through each problem on their own in
Differentiation should be addition to the pair and share strategy. This will give students
embedded throughout your who are struggling the opportunity to get an explanation from
whole lesson!! their peers. Getting another explanation/ hearing it differently
This is to make sure you have can help students process information. In addition, to help
students who are struggling we will go over each answer as a
met the needs of your students
class so they are able to see the solution presented again and
on IEPS or 504
explained.
To modify: If the activity is too
advanced for a child, how will you For the students who it might be too easy for, giving them an
modify it so that they can be successful? opportunity to teach their peer will allow them to deepen their
To extend: If the activity is too easy for understanding by answering questions and explaining their
a child, how will you extend it to reasoning.
develop their emerging skills?

Assessment Reflection: (data I will be able to tell if the learning targets are met by observing
analysis) students during the main lesson and addressing points of
How will you know if students met the confusion when students are working through the problems. I
learning targets? Write a description of will also be able to tell if each student has met the learning
what you were looking for in each target based on the pre/post test. This should give me an idea
assessment.
of any misunderstandings and if students were able to work
through the problems.
Power Point images: (Powerpoint also attached in email).