Stephanie Vergauwen

Teaching Experiment 4
Formative Assessment Activity: __Create the Problem________
Planned Date of Implementation: _____04/13/2015___________________
Common Core State Standard(s):
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSA.CED.A.2
Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations
on coordinate axes with labels and scales.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.IF.B.4
For a function that models a relationship between two quantities, interpret key features of graphs and
tables in terms of the quantities, and sketch graphs showing key features given a verbal description of the
relationship.
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.HSF.BF.A.1.C
(+) Compose functions.

Mathematical Practice(s):
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4 Model with mathematics.
CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP7 Look for and make use of structure.

Explain the grouping structure (i.e., individual, partner, group) and the reasoning for this
decision?
During this activity, my students will be working in pairs to write a real-world situation
that can be represented by a quadratic function when given the vertex (25, 100) and another point
(50, 0). As additional practice of rewriting equations, my students will be asked to write their
equation in standard form, since they will likely write it in vertex form based on the information
given. Having the equation represented in both vertex and standard form could serve as a tool for
my students to check that the problems make sense based on the two representations, but they are
not required to have both.
My students have been working in pairs since the beginning of the semester, as a way to
encourage discussion of mathematical ideas as well as the act of persevering through problem
solving. For this activity the students will only be given the two pieces of information, which I
anticipate will be somewhat frustrating for them at first, but it is my hope that by being able to
work with a partner my students will be able to bounce ideas off of each other and connect this
problem to their previous knowledge.
This activity will be taking place on a review day, and therefore we will be at the end of
our unit on quadratic functions. Since we have discussed multiple ways to write quadratic
functions based on what information we are given, I will be assessing the students ability to
recognize how they can use the vertex and another point to not only write an equation for the
quadratic function and rewrite it in standard form, but also apply it to a real-world context.

Stephanie Vergauwen

Goal(s) of Activity (i.e., Students will be able to and I canThese should include
mathematical content and process learning goals.)
1. Students will be able to use the vertex and an additional point of a function to write an
equation in standard form.
2. Students will be able to reason abstractly about a function and write a real-life situation to
represent the function.
3. Students will be able to work with their partner in order to determine that their equation is
correct, and that their problem accurately models the function based on the given
information.
4. I can write an equation in standard form given the vertex and a point of a function.
5. I can write a problem in a real-world context that represents a function that I have
created.
6. I can discuss the solutions with my partner to check that the problem we created
accurately represents the function we created.
How will you elicit thinking from the students?
I will elicit thinking from the students by encouraging them to think about how to write
an equation for a function when given the vertex and a point. I will then ask them what it means
for a quadratic function to be in standard form, and how they would go about rewriting their
equation if necessary. I will strongly encourage students to discuss their ideas with their partners,
and I will not assist them until they have had an in-depth discussion about what they know and
what they need to find out. I will have students think about the information they are given, and
what that information could represent in the context of a real-world situation. Some questions
that I might ask are:
What do you know about the vertex of a quadratic function?
What do you know about the other point of the function that was given to you?
How can you put this information together to write an equation to represent this function?
What does this information represent? How can this be applied to a real-world context?
From this, I will encourage my students to be as creative as possible when writing their
word problems. I will also elicit thinking by asking my students to read through their problem
several times, considering all information, and check that their situation makes sense. I will also
encourage my students to draw pictures or graphs if they need to, in order to reason through the
problem or check their work. After about 10 minutes of working, I will bring the class together
to discuss their equations and the problems that they created.
What data will you collect? How will you analyze the data you collect? (i.e., How will you
determine students have understood the material/content of the activity or reached the goal of the
activity? This should tie back to your above learning objectives.)

Stephanie Vergauwen

I will collect data from the problems that the students create on their papers. I will ask
that one person in the pair take out a blank piece of paper, and let the students know that they are
to write their equation and their problem on the paper to be turned in at the end of the hour.
While the students are working I will be walking around the room and monitoring their work.
This material is a review for the students since they have been working with quadratic functions
throughout the entire chapter, and they have also worked with writing quadratic functions when
given various pieces of information. In previous chapters the students have been asked to create
real-life situations based on given information, but this is their first time writing a problem to
represent a quadratic function.
By reading through the problems that the students have created, I will be able to
determine whether or not the students were able to accurately represent the function by correctly
modeling a situation in which there is a vertex of (25, 100) and an x-intercept of (50,0). I am
anticipating that the problems will involve some sort of object flying/falling through the air,
reaching a maximum height of 100 at 25 units from the starting point, then reaching the ground
at a distance of 50 units.
Through reading the problems as well as monitoring how the students work during the
activity, I will be able to conclude whether or not the goals of the lesson were reached by the
students. If the students are able to have a thoughtful discussion and explain their reasoning then
the lesson goals were met, and if the students are unable to explain why their problem models the
function then the lesson goals were not met.
How and what kind of feedback (written/verbal) will you give students? What is the
purpose of your feedback?
I will provide my students with verbal feedback while they are working with their
partners, as a way to elicit thinking and encouraging them to think critically about the
information they are given and how it relates to a real-world situation. I will also provide my
students with written feedback on the problems that they turn in at the end of the class period.
Since I will be reading through each problem, I will be able to provide detailed feedback to all of
the pairs to help them see whether or not they were on the right track and fulfilled the goals of
the activity. It is my hope that my students will take my feedback into consideration when
studying, using it as a tool to help further their thinking and reasoning.
Being able to read through the problems created by the students will allow me to see who
has a solid understanding of quadratic functions and how they are used in everyday life, and who
still struggles with thinking through conceptual problems. While the students work, I will be sure
to make a note of how each student is engaging in the activity and contributing to discussion
with his/her partner. In doing this I will be able to see who I will need to check with more
regularly for understanding regarding quadratic functions and their representations.