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Calculus Unit on Limits

Description: 

This unit will have students take a close look at limits.  Students will gain a better understanding of how limits work, how to algebraically simplify expressions to find the limit, how to look at a graph and know the limit and the ideas about continuous functions.

Learning Targets: 
Students will learn how to evaluate limits at point given a graph, table, or expression
Students will learn how to find the limits at infinity and negative infinity
Students will learn how to determine if a function is continuous from a graph, table or expression
AttachmentSize
PDF icon Unit Plan.pdf143.74 KB
Author: 
mcallow
Content Area: 
Mathematics
Pre-Calc and Calculus
Language: 
English
Resource Type: 
Unit
Licensing: 
Creative Commons Licence
Grade: 
9-12
Tags: 
cohort04-10-17

Student prerequisite skills and knowledge

Students should know how to factor, graph polynomials, and solve a function when given a particular point.

How is the concept or procedure explained or demonstrated?

Students will watch videos, (either mine or like videos online), and they will have lots of opportunities to practice.  They will practice on Desmos, or written work including graphing and algebraically solving by hand.  

What concepts or procedures are being explained or demonstrated in this lesson object?

Students will learn how to evaluate a limit at a point using substitution, algebraic tricks, factoring and multiplying by the conjugate.  Students will learn how to solve limits when they an indeterminate form and how to find limits at infinity.  Lastly, students will learn the connections between limits and continuous functions.

What was your experience, both successes and challenges, using this lesson object with your students?

Students struggled with the concept of coming to class without a full picture of what they were doing.  It was somewhat designed that I just gave them the bare minimum information in the videos, and then they explored the rest on their own or in small groups.  This led to some frustration, but I think it led to an ultimate better understanding of the topics once they grasped them.