Lesson 15

Preparing for Vertex Form

These materials, when encountered before Algebra 1, Unit 6, Lesson 15 support success in that lesson.

Lesson Narrative

In this lesson, students have an opportunity to use a graphing calculator to do the same things they will in the associated Algebra 1 lesson. In the warm-up, students use intercepts and other features of graphs to compare and contrast them, drawing on relevant vocabulary. Then, they change the parameters of a linear function and draw connections to the features of a graph representing the function. (In the Algebra 1 lesson, they do a similar activity involving quadratic functions.) Then, they practice identifying equivalent expressions. This is in preparation for the associated Algebra 1 lesson, when they will need to rewrite expressions in equivalent forms, including expanding expressions like \((x-5)^2\). Students notice and make use of structure (MP7) both when they notice how changing a parameter in a function affects its graph and when they use structure to identify equivalent expressions.


Learning Goals

Teacher Facing

  • Experiment with changing the parameters in a linear function and noticing the effect on the intercepts of its graph.
  • Practice identifying equivalent expressions.

Student Facing

  • Let’s notice how the numbers in a function affect its graph.

Required Materials

CCSS Standards

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