lesson should begin with a review of what the students learned in
Lesson Five of this Unit Plan. Having them restate what they learned
will help reinforce the concepts of that activity and give the teacher
another opportunity to assess students’ understanding.
Today’s activity should begin with a general discussion of what
students know about the age of an automobile and the mileage they would
expect to be on the automobile.
Students should be divided into teams of two to work at the
computer. If possible, the students should continue to work the same
teams as those in Lesson Five. Each student should be given a copy of
the handout Automobile Mileage—Age vs. Mileage (or a similar handout of student produced data). They should also use the Linear Regression I applet.
together, the partners can share the responsibility of making sure the
data is plotted correctly. One student should plot the data, while the
second reads out loud the data and makes sure it is plotted correctly.
Students should click on the applet and make the changes in the
viewing window indicated on the handout. As the students begin to plot
the data, walk from group to group, making sure the students are
plotting the data correctly. Encourage students to think about the data
they are plotting and the resulting graphs. Ask Guiding Questions such
as the following as you monitor and facilitate the group work.
- Are you beginning to notice any pattern in the shape of the plot?
- What type of function do you think will fit this data?
- Do you think the slope of the line will be positive or negative?
- What do you think the y-intercept of the regression line might be?
Allow the students to complete the plot and answer the questions on
the handout. Continue to circulate and facilitate discourse between the
partners while they complete this portion of the activity.
After completing the questions on the handout, students should be
given the opportunity to discuss their findings as a class. The Guiding
Questions at the beginning of this lesson and the questions on the
handout can be used to help guide this discussion. This will encourage
students to reflect on what they have discovered about the graphical
and algebraic estimations of the real data and allow them to strengthen
their understanding of slope as a rate of change. The teacher should
pay particular attention to the students’ understanding of the units
used on the axes.