Middle Grades Math: What's in a Line?

Objectives

• Students will interpret the equation y = mx + b as defining a linear function, whose graph is a straight line.
• Students will be able to recognize equations as defining linear functions from those that are not linear.
• Students will reason abstractly and quantitatively.
• Students will look closely to discern a pattern or structure.

Vocabulary

• equation
• tables
• graph
• coordinates
• function
• linear function
• slope or rate of change

About the Lesson

This lesson involves identifying linear functions.
As a result, students will:

• Plot points on the coordinate graph as they begin to determine features of a linear function.
• Plot new points for a visual check of the points "working" with the original plotted points.
• Examine and compare the final equations that appear for each example.
• See that equations in the form of y = mx + b represent linear functions and that other types of equations produce other functions or possibly non-functions.