ORGANIZING IDEA

Big Idea (concept that organizes the unit...): Relationships between Limits and Rates of Changes Essential Question(s): Why do we need an abstract concept like infinity to define something as concrete as a rate of change? When is it important to be exact and when is it beneficial to make approximations? How can the parts inform the whole and how can the whole inform the parts?

OUTCOMES
Enduring Understanding(s): I want students to understand that... -Curves can be conceptualized as a joining together of almost linear pieces. -An infinitely fine approximation of a quantity is often needed to yield the exact value. Knowledge: Students will know that... -The secant line and the tangent line represent the average rate of change and the instantaneous rate of change respectively. -The derivative is a "slope function." -There is a difference between the meaning of x and dx. Misconception(s) tied to that understanding: -The little pieces that a function is broken down into are actual line segments and not curves. -Because the instantaneous rate of change is a limit, it isn't a "real thing."

Skill(s): Students will be able to... -Determine limits using numerical, algebraic, and graphical methods. -Calculate Average Rate of Change between two points. -Approximate the instantaneous rate of change at a point using numerical, algebraic, and graphical methods. -Find the derivative function using the formal definition of the derivative. -Use the derivative function to determine the Instantaneous Rate of Change at a point. -Determine the equation of a tangent line at any given point.

ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE
Performance Task(s): [note that this is not necessarily in order] 1. Skills based test on the skills above (see sample questions below). 1. LoggerPro determination of instantaneous velocity and average rate of change Identify something that has a changing velocity. Film the motion of that thing and upload into LoggerPro. Using LoggerPro, answer the following calculations 1. Pick a certain spot in the film and calculate the following. I. The average velocity during the second before the point and the average velocity during the second after the point. II. What would you need to do get a better approximation of the instantaneous velocity at that point? Do that. 3. Writing assignment: Write about the conceptual and graphical similarities and differences in meaning between the two equations

below. a. b. 4. Create a lesson explaining the differences between average and instantaneous velocity to a middle school student. Use examples, but do not assume your audience knows a lot about rates of change - just their own life experiences. 5. Given a picture of a function a. Draw the tangent line at 5 different points. b. Explain what these tangent lines tell us about the function. c. Draw a rough sketch of the derivative of the function. 6. I. Draw a graph and label five points such that: a. At point A the slope of the function is extremely negative b. At point B the slope of the function zero c. At point C the slope of the function is slightly negative d. At point D the slope of the function is extremely positive e. At point E the slope of the function is slightly positive II. What can the slope at these specific points tell you about the behavior of the function around these points? 7. Given two graphs - one a "nice curve" and one a similar shape that is made of connected discrete line segments (with the same set of 10 points, see the pictures to the right) a. What are the similarities and differences between the two graphs? b. Movies, like the Hobbit, are shot using a series of rapidly collected frames, usually around 50 frames per second. How is this approximation of real life? c. How does the approximation in part b relate to the graphs to the right?

LEARNING PLAN
Progress through the material in the same order as the skills listed above: 1. Deal conceptually with the idea of a limit and teach students how to find limits using the three different methods. 1. Review algebra and pre-Calculus concepts about slope and teach students how to calculate an average rate. 2. Use a variety of experiential learning activities to help students learn the difference between instantaneous and average rate of change. a) Using two stopwatches and a rolling chair, calculate the instantaneous velocity at any given time. b) LoggerPro examination of motion (described above). 3. Introduce the difference quotient and calculate instantaneous rates of change using the limit of a difference quotient as h approaches 0. Determine basic derivatives the same way. 4. Use derivatives to calculate instantaneous rates of change and to calculate the tangent lines to a function at any point.

RUBRIC
4 - You have totally mastered the skills involved, have demonstrated a full understanding of the concepts involved, have clearly showed all steps of your reasoning, have used notation correctly, have written exemplary and clear prose, and have made no algebraic errors. 3.5 - You have totally mastered the skills involved, have demonstrated a full understanding of the concepts involved, have made a small notational error, or a very small (non-fatal) algebraic error. 3 - You have a firm grasp of the skills involved, have demonstrated an almost full understanding of the concepts involved, but you possibly didnt show steps of your reasoning, didnt use notation totally consistently, could have written clearer prose, and/or made a slight (but nonfatal) algebraic error. 2 - You have demonstrated some conceptual understanding of the skills involved. You possible have some confused reasoning, did not completely answer the questions, did not use consistent notation, wrote muddled prose, and/or made more than one (non-fatal) algebraic errors. 1 - You have demonstrated a weak conceptual understanding or none at all of the skills involved. You possibly have confused reasoning, poor prose, and/or made on or more serious (fatal) algebraic errors. 0 - You have been absent or left the problem blank.

Sample Skills Test Questions

A.

Sketch a graph with the following restrictions: (i) The domain of f is [ 5,5] (ii) f ( 4) = f ( 1) = f (5) = 0 (iii) lim f ( x ) = , lim f ( x ) = 4 , lim+ f ( x ) = 1 , lim f ( x) = 2
x 4 x 1 x 1 x 5

y 6

1 x 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Identify the following limits of the function f ( x ) :

7 y

1 x 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

x 0+

lim f ( x) =

x 2+

lim f ( x) =

lim f ( x ) =
x4

x 0

lim f ( x ) =

x 5

lim f ( x )

lim f ( x ) =
x 3

lim f ( x) =
x 0

x 1+

lim f ( x) =

x 6

lim f ( x ) =

f (0) =

f (1) =

f (2) =

C. Given the following position versus time graphs, sketch a velocity versus time graph below.

position (meters)
7.0
5

6.0
3

5.0

4.0

10

11

3.0
1

2.0

1.0
4

time (seconds)
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0
5

velocity (m/sec)
4.0
5

3.0

2.0
2

1.0

time (seconds)
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0
1

10

11

1.0
2

2.0

3.0
5

4.0

F. If f ( x ) =

1 , calculate the average ROC over the interval [2,7]. Please show all work. x +1

G. part I: If f ( x) = x 2 + sin( x) , estimate the instantaneous ROC at the point x = 2.5 . [Please remember to keep your calculator in radian mode.] Please show all work. To be as exact as possible, please use the STO function that we talked about in class. Show all your work/calculations. G. Part II: In the following position versus time graph, order the following instantaneous velocities from LEAST to MOST: t=1, t=3, t=6, t=8, t=10.5. Explain in a few sentences how you decided on your ordering.
position
9.0

8.0

7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

t=1

2.0

1.0

t=6 t=8
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0

t=10.5
10.0 11.0 12.0

time
13.0

1.0

t=3
2.0

3.0

LEAST TO MOST:

E. Part 1: Use the formal definition of the derivative to find the derivative of Miller( x) = 2 x3 + x Part II: Use the formal definition of the derivative to find the derivative of Vesey( x ) = 1 3 x F. Write down the formal definition of the derivative. Then explain you may use the graph below to help you illustrate where that definition comes from.
y 4

x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1. Let

. a. Draw a tangent line to the graph at

b. Find the equation of this tangent line.