Lesson 2

The mathematical purpose of this lesson is for students to make connections between different representations of the same situation. The work of this lesson connects to previous work done in grade 8 and an earlier unit when students had to describe a function by interpreting the input and output values from a table. This lesson prepares students to make connections between verbal and tabular representations of linear and exponential functions in the associated Algebra 1 lesson. When students explain correspondences between equations, verbal descriptions, tables, and graphs, they are reasoning abstractly and quantitatively (MP2). The matching activity gives students opportunities to analyze representations, statements, and structures closely and make connections (MP7).

For the activity Whose Representation Is That?, copy and cut cards from the blackline master. Prepare one set of cards for every 2 students. A complete set of three representations is provided for each situation. If you would like students to create some of their own representations, decide which cards to remove from the sets you will distribute.