Lesson Title:__Understanding Vertex Form_____ Grade:__10___

Learning Target:

This lesson was designed to meet the following learning outcomes

 Students will be able to switch between standard and vertex form for quadratic equations.
 Students will know that standard form and vertex form are equivalent and create the same
graph.
 Students will be able to understand the shifts in quadratic equations in the written vertex
form equation and will understand how this relates to shifts in the graph.

Grade Level Guide: Content Standards

Content Curriculum Focal Points Common Core State Interdisciplinary Connections (if
(ie: NCTM, IRA,…) Standards applicable)
NCTM (grades 9-12) – CCSS – HSF.IF.C.7 and
understand relations and HSA.CED.A.2
functions and select, convert
flexibly among, and use various Graph functions expressed
representations for them. symbolically and show key
features of the graph, by
hand in simple cases and
using technology for more
complicated cases.

Create equations in two or

more variables to represent
relationships between
quantities; graph equations
on coordinate axes with
labels and scales.

Academic Language: The students should be familiar with the following terminology:
Quadratic equation, standard form, vertex form, shift, vertex, parabola

Students’ Needs:What experiences, prior knowledge and/or knowledge gaps do students have
that relate to the lesson goals?
The students need to have a conceptual understanding of quadratic equations, including their
general shape, that they possess a vertex, and that their equations include a squared term. The
students need to understand how to algebraically switch between standard form and vertex form
in both directions for quadratic equations. The students need to know how to graph. The
following modifications can be made for diverse learners.

English Language Learners Special Needs (can be a group such as

“struggling readers” or individuals)

 English Language Learners  The students will also have access to

will have all of the terms and
their definitions on a
worksheet, and this will be
given to the students ahead of
the lesson to help them
understand the lesson.
 The students will receive
written instructions of verbal
instructions given so that the
students can refer to them if
they do not grasp the
instructions provided in
class.
the vocabulary list and the written
instructions if they need them.
 I will pair students ahead of time so
that I can place students with those
who will create an environment that
fosters learning.
 During group work and independent
work, as I walk around, I will check
in with the students and make sure
the task is understood, both in what
is required and how to do it.

Materials:

Students:
 Laptop with geometer sketchpad
 Paper and writing utensil for notes and scratch work
 Access to the geometer sketchpad file with the activity

Teacher:
 Laptop
 Instructions
 Sample problems and questions to guide discussion
 White board/chalk board
 White board markers/chalk
Language Function:
Interpret – students are asked to interpret the movements of the graph based on how the
a, h, and k values are changing
Justify – students are asked to justify their arguments for a, h, and k based on the graph
Describe – students are asked to describe their thoughts and patterns to their partners

Lesson Plan
Before: Before beginning the lesson, I will ask the students if they have ever thought that some
math concepts appeared out of nowhere, like how two things can look nothing alike, but are still
equal. Then, with that question hanging in the air, I will review switching quadratic equations
from standard form to vertex form and back with some sample problems on the board. I will
have students work for a moment on their own, then in pairs, and then ask for volunteers to show
the class. I will ask for students to show me how comfortable they are in switching between the
two from one to five. They will show me their level of comfort on their fingers. I will bring my
opening question back up and ask if the students really believe that these are the same when they
look so different.

During: I will have each student open the geometer sketchpad activity file that they should all
be able to access. I will explain how this is large group, pairs, and individual work, and that they
will need their notes as well as scratch paper. I will walk the students through the second page of
the activity. I will have the class plot a quadratic equation in standard form. Then, on scratch
paper, they will convert it to vertex form and plot that equation. Using the animated point, we
will see that they are in fact the same graph even though the equations look different. I will have
them try another, with an equation of their choice, to ensure their understanding of this fact.
Then, I will explain pages three and four of the activity, which will be done largely in pairs. I
will tell them to work on discovering how the values of a, h, and k in vertex form affect the
graph based on plugging in various values in for those constants in the graph. I will encourage
students to look for patterns and make conjectures, and I will also encourage students to talk
through their thoughts with their partners. I will ask students to record their thoughts and
conjectures in their notes before they reveal the hidden tabs. I will walk around to monitor
thinking, discussions, correct and incorrect conjectures and insights, and I will look at their
conjectures to gauge how well they are investigating and pulling out patterns. If needed, like if
there is a common insight or misconception, I will pull the group together so we can discuss. The
last question for each constant is difficult, so it will challenge my students and provide some
quality speculation for those who finish early. If pairs are stuck, I will help to lead them by
giving some key values that demonstrate the pattern.
 After: The questions embedded in the fourth page for each letter will help to pull together loose
ends and draw out more thought and discussion. I will ask students to share insights they gained
that I do not have in the lesson. I will ask for general questions if students felt stuck on a topic. I
will also clarify and add to the conjectures if they need to be fleshed out to ensure that content is
not neglected or forgotten. Then, we will participate in an exit slip. I will ask students to record
what they learned today. I will also ask them to include their initial conjectures and how they
compared with the patterns that arose. I will ask the students to include relevant information in
their notes for future reference.

Assessment: How will you determine who knows which objectives? Describe the tools and
techniques you will use.

Type of Description of Modifications to Evaluation Criteria- How good is

assessment assessment the assessment so good enough to meet standards?
(formal or informal; What will students do that all students (related to the learning objectives)
formative or to show what they may demonstrate Include scoring guide, rubric or other
summative) have learned? learning criteria
Informal, formative They will show me If the class shows mostly fours and
how comfortable they fives with one or two threes, I will
are with the concept move on and touch base with those
of switching between students during the group work section.
standard form and If there are more threes and few fives, I
vertex form by will ask where the students are
showing a number on confused and guide misunderstandings
their fingers between to an accurate understanding. If there
one and five, where are large portions of twos and ones I
one is totally will quickly re-teach the information in
uncomfortable and a different way and encourage students
five is completely explicitly to stop me when they get
comfortable. lost.

Informal, formative I will be walking If students Are the students on task and working
around and listening struggle with through the geometer sketchpad
to conversations of writing, I will ask lesson? Are they following
students. I will also them to tell me instructions? Are they discussing? Are
be looking at their their conjectures they trying to find patterns? Are they
written observations so that I can still trying different values? Are they
and conjectures. monitor their recording their observations? If these
thoughts. are true, they are doing well.
Summative Students will reflect If students Students should recall at least 80% of
on their learning from struggle with the information on the exit slip.
the day in an exit slip. writing, I will Students should list their conjectures
They will include accept more and relate them to the patterns they
what they have informal work learned from the activity.
learned, as well as from their exit
how their conjectures slip. I will also
lined up with the ask them to
patterns that arose. verbally tell me
what they
learned.

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49J2LCJ4Kms