Lesson 6

Analyzing Graphs

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Lesson Narrative

In this lesson, students continue to examine situations characterized by exponential decay. The emphasis here is on analyzing graphs representing such situations. Students work across representations: from graphs to equations and from verbal descriptions to graphs. In addition to interpreting mathematical representations in context (MP2), students also think carefully about how the numbers used in place of \(a\) and \(b\) in an expression of the form \(a \boldcdot b^x\) influence the graph of the equation \(y = a \boldcdot b^x\) (MP7).


Learning Goals

Teacher Facing

  • Determine whether situations are characterized by exponential growth or by exponential decay given descriptions and graphs.
  • Use graphs to compare and contrast situations that involve exponential decay.
  • Use information from a graph to write an equation that represents exponential decay.

Student Facing

Let's compare situations where quantities change exponentially.

Required Materials

Required Preparation

Make copies of the blackline master for the Matching Descriptions to Graphs activity, one copy for every 2 students. Cut up the slips and separate into sets ahead of time.

Learning Targets

Student Facing

  • I can use graphs to compare and contrast situations that involve exponential decay.
  • I can use information from a graph to write an equation that represents exponential decay.

CCSS Standards

Building On

Addressing

Building Towards

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