Lesson Plan Template

*sections pertaining to Pre-reading and Mini-Lesson written in red

Date: 2/25/18 Teacher’s Name: Daniel Ferrara

Subject: Algebra II Grade level: 11
Unit: Quadratic Functions Length of lesson: 50 minutes

Central Focus: The focus for this lesson is to have students understand the role of the
discriminant in determining the types of roots of a quadratic equation. Students will become
fluent in calculating the discriminant and develop the connections between the discriminant
and the corresponding roots.
Lesson Title: The Discriminant
For unit, 5 out of 5:

Essential Question(s):
 What are all of the possibilities for roots of quadratic equations?
 Can we determine the properties of an equation’s roots without solving for them?
 What can the quadratic formula infer based on its individual components?

Learning Standards:

Math:
 Reasoning with Equations & Inequalities A-REI (4a,4b): Solve quadratic equations in one
variable.
a. Use the method of completing the square to transform any quadratic equation in x
into an equation of the form (x–p)2 = q that has the same solutions. Derive the
quadratic formula from this form.
b. Solve quadratic equations by inspection (e.g., for x2 = 49), taking square roots,
completing the square, the quadratic formula and factoring, as appropriate to the
initial form of the equation. Recognize when the quadratic formula gives complex
solutions and write them as a ± bi for real numbers a and b

Literacy: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.5: Analyze how the text structures information or

ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.

Pre-Assessment: Before starting the guided instruction, have students recall the reading
assignment due for this session (http://www.purplemath.com/modules/quadform3.htm) and allow
them to discuss what the topic of the text was and how it relates to the previous lesson. This
will allow the teacher to assess the students’ comfort with the new material.
Learning Experience Outcomes Assessments
 Students will be able to calculate the  Students will participate in “Coding the Text”
discriminant of any given quadratic equation. activity where initially, they will make several
 Students will be able to determine the text-self and text-text connections and later
properties of a quadratic equation based on continue individually
the discriminant (number of roots, real vs.  Students will start the exercises on the
complex, rational vs. irrational). accompanying worksheet with a partner and
 Lesson Plan Template
*sections pertaining to Pre-reading and Mini-Lesson written in red

complete it for homework.

Differentiation
Approaching
 Students who display lack of
confidence or aptitude in
making connections during
the discussion have the
opportunity to hear what
other students have
discovered. If necessary,
they can be partnered with
another student after the
discussion to make text-self
connections. Students with
disabilities and ELL’s will
benefit from the diagram
and from interactions with
fellow students.
On-level
 Students who are on-level
should benefit from making
several different kinds of
connections with the text
such as those regarding to
other ideas in the text,
conceptual ideas from the
self and even possibly real
world connections.
Beyond
 Students at the beyond level
are encouraged to work
collaboratively with
approaching level students to
provide aid in creating text
based connections, thus
helping their classmates as well
as solidifying their present
more than satisfactory
understanding of the
informational text.

Academic Language:
c. Vocabulary: quadratic formula, standard form, coefficients, roots, x-intercepts,
discriminant, complex
d. Language Functions:
a. Identify the discriminant of a given quadratic equation.
b. Determine characteristics of the solutions of a quadratic equation based on
the calculated discriminant.
 Syntax: Students will orally describe the role of the discriminant in the quadratic formula
and explain the relationship between the properties of the discriminant and the roots.
 Discourse: Students will accurately present implications of the roots of an equation
derived from the discriminant and demonstrate a strong level of understanding of the
quadratic formula as a whole.

Procedure:

Anticipatory Set
a. First, have students take out the informational text to be thoroughly read today.
For the first 5 minutes, have students engage themselves by having them discuss
any possible connections they have found within the text to ideas they are
familiar with from prior classes, real world situations, or within the text itself.
Allow them time to jot down ideas in their notebooks.

Initial Phase
a. As a class, we’ll construct several connections such as text-to-self and text-to-
text as part of activity known as “Coding the Text”.
 Lesson Plan Template
*sections pertaining to Pre-reading and Mini-Lesson written in red

b. Students shall continue to explore connections either individually or with a

partner until about halfway through the period.
Middle Phase
a. Students will begin to work on the exercises on the attached worksheet. Using
the text as a guide, they should be able to make considerable progress.
b. With about 10 minutes remaining in class, have participating students explain
their answers to a couple selected exercises to ensure a likeminded approach and
conclusion among the rest of the class.

Concluding Phase
a. Spend the remainder of class reviewing the takeaways of this lesson e.g. the role
of the discriminant, the connections to the quadratic formula, and different
kinds of solutions of quadratics.
b. Lightly extend this topic to the next unit by mentioning that quadratic equations
are only one type of function and that there are others we will learn about
known as exponential and logarithmic.

Follow up: Students will complete supplementary exercises and check their solutions from the
following web address on their own time for homework.
https://cdn.kutasoftware.com/Worksheets/Alg2/The%20Discriminant.pdf

Materials:
 Discriminant Worksheet
 Computer
 Projector
 Whiteboard/Markers
 Internet access

References and Resources:

 Informational text: The Quadratic Formula: Solutions and the Discriminant
http://www.purplemath.com/modules/quadform2.htm
 Understanding the Discriminant Worksheet:
https://cdn.kutasoftware.com/Worksheets/Alg2/The%20Discriminant.pdf