Slope-m8h7

=Slope=

This unit only deals with calculating slope of a line by counting rise over run on a graph...the formula comes later in the year.

- this is practice for an exploration of the slope of stairsteps. I used unifix cubes and had students create different staircases. We first focused on what made one staircase steeper than the other. It was through this discussion that I introduced the terms "rise" and "run'. I then asked students to create a staircase with a slope of 1. I brought several examples and put them under the document camera, then had a group discussion of which one had a slope of 1. I took a transparency of graph paper and recorded the staircase and identified the points so we could draw in the line. I then asked students to create a staircase with a slope of 2. It was really interesting...I saw staircases that had a slope of 2, 1/2, 1 (in the form of two up and two over). We discussed a) whether the staircases had the same slope and b) what the slope for each staircase was. I then asked students to create one that was steeper than 2, followed my one that was not as steep as 1/2. Finally I challenged them to try one with a slope of -2.




 * [[file:Slope Room Rotation Recording Sheet.doc]]