PreCalculus

Introduction to Limits

Note: Information about how to use Desmos activities is at the bottom of this lesson
plan.

Mathematics Learning Goals:

Students will be able to describe the relationship between a graphical representation and
symbolic representation of a limit for a given value in the domain.

Students will be able to identify the limit of a function at a given value in the domain given a
graph of the function.

Students will be able to use limits to determine if a function is continuous at a given point in the
domain.

Essential Question:
How are limits described using symbolic and graphical representations?

NC Math Standards:

PreCalculus - 2.08 Explore the limit of a function graphically, numerically, and algebraically.

Common Core State Mathematical Practice Standards:

3.Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.

Materials:
● Laptop or tablet for each student
● Warm up WODB task to display using projector
● Copies of the Introduction to Limits Notes. The first page of this corresponds with the
Desmos activity. The second page could be used as HW, questions to guide a whole
class discussion after the activity, or as an exit ticket.
● Link to the Introduction to Limits Desmos activity. The activity can be found here. You
will need to set up a class code.
● Link to Polygraph: Limits activity for students that finish quickly. You will need to set up a
class code.

Differentiation:
This lesson is appropriate for all students because it allows students to work at their own pace.
If students move through the task at a quick pace there are additional activities to keep them
engaged with the content until the teacher is ready to have a whole class discussion or move
ahead. Multiple representations are used so that students have an opportunity to engage with
the mathematics from different perspectives. In addition, the teacher platform allows the teacher
to assess student understanding in the moment and address any concerns one on one.

Notes to the reader:

These are the assumptions we have made:
● That students know the difference between open circles and closed circles as a point on
a graph (inclusion or exclusion of a value).
● Students know how to reference points on a coordinate plane.
● students know how to use limit notation to describe end behavior.

Time: Assume about 75 minutes

Time Lesson Teacher Actions Student Actions

Phase

5 Warm-Up Have students write their Students will complete a WODB

minutes answers to the WODB warm
up task.
Display the document on the
projector and explain to
students that there is no right
or wrong answer to this
question.
(Which One Doesn’t Belong)
There are no wrong answers to
this task. The purpose is to
attend to differences in the 4
representations. Through this
activity students will be drawing
on their previous knowledge of
limits and end behavior, helping
them get ready for today’s
lesson.

10 Warm-Up Discuss student responses to Explain choice of which one

minutes the warm up task. Ask for
explanations for all 4 options.
This is an opportunity to
review what the limit notation
means with x approaching
+/- infinity and how that is
related to graphical
representations. Encourage
students to use graphs to
justify their choices.
does not belong using correct
mathematical language and
representations.
For example, I chose 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑓(𝑥) =
𝑥→∞
−∞ because it is the only
function that goes to a negative
value as we consider what
happens at the extreems.
5 minutes Desmos As you transition to today’s
Activity lesson you can explain that
we considered limits as x
approaches +/- infinity to
describe the end behavior of
a graph. In this unit we are
going to consider limits of
functions and any point in the
domain.
Write or display class code
for Desmos activity and
instruct students to go to
student.desmos.com and
enter the given code.
10 Desmos Walk around the room and
minutes Activity: help/observe student
pages 1 - 13 progress. On the teacher
dashboard in Desmos be
sure to watch that students
begin using the correct
descriptive language when
introduced to it. If many
students are making errors,
pause the Desmos activity
(pause button at the bottom
of the dashboard) and
address these errors.
15 Desmos Walk around the room and
minutes Activity: help/observe student
pages 14 - progress. Be sure to watch
25 that students are using the
proper language that has
been introduced on slides
4&10 to them for these
slides.Check their notes for
accuracy at slide 25.
Students should work on the
desmos activity in pairs
discussing their ideas as they
move through the activity.
However, they must all have
their own computer/tablet and
type in their individual
responses.
Work on the desmos activity,
pages 1-13. These pages focus
on description of the motion of
the point (i.e., x → ?) however it
makes sense to them, then once
they are introduced to the
language they should begin to
change how they describe the
motion.
Students should be noting the
point is moving from the left or
from the right and approaching a
particular value of x.
Work on the desmos activity,
slides 14-25.Students will stop
when they reach slide 25 and
raise their hand.
In their notes they should have
recorded: “The limit of f as x
approaches a from the left is L.”
for the first question and “The
limit of f as x approaches a from
the right is L.” for the second
question.
15 Desmos Walk around the room and
minutes Activity: help/observe student
pages 26 - progress. Be sure students
35 are getting the correct
answer to the questions. If
students are stuck ask them
questions such as “what
value is the function
approaching as you trace it
with your finger from the
left/right?” Check their notes
for accuracy at slide 35.
Work on the desmos activity,
slides 27-35. Students will stop
at slide 35 and raise their hand.
They need to have written
“ 𝑙𝑖𝑚 −𝑥(𝑥) = 𝑥” and
𝑥→𝑥
“ 𝑙𝑖𝑚 +𝑥(𝑥) = 𝑥 ” and
𝑥→𝑥
“ 𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝑥(𝑥) = 𝑥 ”.
𝑥→𝑥

For each of these questions

students will select the
response they think is correct
and then be prompted to
explain their answer.
Afterward they will see
responses from others in the
class. The hope is that if they
see that their response is
different they will revisit or
ask questions.

Extra Desmos These pages are not
practice Activity: required, but can be used for
as pages 36 - students that have moved
needed 41 through the activity more
quickly.
Walk around the room and
help/observe student
progress. This is where
students get into the
existence of a limit, check
their explanations of why a
limit does/doesn’t exist for
proper language and
correctness.
Work on the desmos activity,
slides 36-41. These slides test
the understanding of the
existence of a limit, and then
students will need to sketch
graphs that meet the certain limit
criteria. Students must at least
get to slide 36 before the end of
class.

Extra For students that are done

Practice you might consider the
as following task:
needed https://teacher.desmos.com/
polygraph/custom/5ab25c95
aca5bd0a8749294e.

In this activity students have

the opportunity to practice
using their precise
mathematical language while
trying to guess which graph
another student has selected
by asking yes/no questions.

10 Whole At the conclusion of the

minutes Class Introduction to Limits
Discussion Desmos activity a wrap up
discussion is needed. The
purpose of this discussion is
to connect what they learned
today to their previous
experiences with limits and to
make sure that all students
understand the limit notation,
how to identify limits from a
graph, and how to identify
whether or not a limit exists.

On the 2nd page of the notes

sheet there are a few
questions that would be good
to use in this discussion or as
an exit ticket.

Some possible questions to

pose in this discussion:

In what ways are the limits

you explored today similar
to/different from those you
explored when we studied
end behavior?

When we see the notation

XXX what does that mean?
 (Write up a right or left limit)

Can you draw a graph where

the limit as x=2 from the right
is different from the limit as x
= 2 from the left?

What does it mean for a “limit

to exist”?
Can you draw a graph of a
limit where the limit at x = 1
does not exist?

Information on Using Desmos Activities

1. Press the Teacher Guide button at the top right to create a pdf of the activity to
use for planning purposes.
2. Press the Create Class Code button to create a code for each of your classes and
a teacher dashboard for each class. Here is a video that shows how to use this
teacher dashboard and set up the activity for your class.