Lesson Portfolio Entry: Utilizing Student Interests

Task What is the main activity that students will be working on in this lesson?
1. 2. Students will construct a classroom definition of compounded-ness. Students will analyze 5 different investment opportunities and use their knowledge of exponential growth and compounded-ness to determine the most advantageous. Students will use this knowledge of investment opportunities to predict the vitality of future opportunities.

Instructional Support What tools or resources will students have to use in their work that will give them entry to, and help them reason through, the activity?
1. 2. 3. 4. Students are provided with a real-world context Students are given data table to organize their thoughts Students are given a sheet with important assets their families. Students are given data about previous growth rates of other mutual funds for orientation

Learning Goals (Residue) What understandings will students take away from this activity?
1. 2. 3. Compounding describes the act of adding on to what one already possesses. The compound interest formula is given by A = P(1 + r/n)^(nt). The compound interest formula comes from the same-base idea explored in the previous days lesson.

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What questions might you ask students that will support their exploration of the activity and bridge between what they did and what you want them to learn (the two green boxes)?
To be clear on what students actually did, begin by asking a set of assessing questions such as: What did you do? How did you get that? What does this mean? Once you have a clearer sense of what the student understands, move on to appropriate set of questions below. 1. How can a mutual fund with a lower percent increase (or growth rate) result in more earnings than a higher rate? 2. What about our formula illustrates that the growth rate (when compounded more often) may actually make your money grow quicker? 3. How would our answers change if I shorten or lengthen the time the money will be present in the mutual fund? 4. What if we changed the initial amount either more or less how would our preferred mutual fund change? 5. Is there a limit for the way in which compounding aids in the growth

What are the various ways that students might complete the activity?
Students can use same-base equations to make sense of a compounding period. 2. Students can use the formula for compounded interest. Then, students must compare their solutions in order to explain what is happening: 1. Larger exponents 2. Growth rate 3. Adding on to what you already have Any combination of these ideas is sufficient for generating a definition. 1.

Evidence What will students say, do, produce, etc. that will provide evidence of their understandings?
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Students will describe compound interest as money which is periodically added to the previous amount n is the number of times it occurs. Students will explain the length of time determines whether a student will take a lower rate more often or a higher rate less often. Students will demonstrates how altering the periods requires changing the exponent accordingly.