Algebra I - Unit 3: Topic 2 – Slope from a Graph

TEKS:
(A.6) Linear Functions
The student understand the meaning of the slope and intercepts of the graphs of linear functions and zeros of linear
functions and interprets and describe the effects of changes in parameters of linear functions in real-world and
mathematical situations
(a) Develop the concept of slope as rate of change and determine slopes from graphs, tables, and algebraic
representations

Materials:
Warm-Up – Slope from a Graph (TN pg 5) (1 for document camera) Lesson Pacing
Student Notes - Slope from a Graph (1 per student)
Practice - Slope from a Graph (1 per student) Warm-Up 3 minutes
Color Pencils (2 different colors per student: best colors: blue and green) Notes 25 minutes

References:
Holt textbook: pp 310-313

Teacher Notes: (Expected student answers will be shown in italics)

Warm-Up:
 Project Warm-Up – Slope from a Graph (TN pg 5) on the document camera
 Have students put their answers on their homework from previous night.
 Go over answers.
1. S, V
2. R, T
3. X
4. T
5. V

Instructional Component:
 Distribute Student Notes – Slope from a Graph to each student.
 Distribute two color pencils to each student.
o What is a rate of change? Slope. The amount something changes. Ratio that compares the amount of
change in the dependent variable to the amount of change in the independent variable.
 Problem 1: Work this problem together, having students write down the steps as you go.
 Step 1: Find two perfect points and connect
 Look at the graph. Out of all the points, only two are what are called “perfect points” or “pretty points”..
o What is a “perfect point”? A point that is located at the intersection of two integer gridlines.
 Have students point to the two perfect points on the graph, and label that they are perfect points.

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Algebra I - Unit 3: Topic 2 – Slope from a Graph
 Have students connect these two perfect points with a line.
y

x
-4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4

-1

-2

-3

-4

 We are going to find the slope of this line.

 Step 2: Make a right angle connecting the two perfect points. (See below)
 Use blue color pencil to highlight the rise (representing sky) and use green color pencil for the run (representing
grass).

 Discuss that it does not matter which way the student draws the angle, that it does not change the answer.
 Step 3: Find your rise and your run.
o Looking at this line, what do you already know about the slope? It is decreasing. It is negative.
 It is helpful for some students to always use the same process, so stress the importance of going Left to Right.
 Have students start with the point that is further to the left on the graph.
 To move to the second point, if you have to move down, for the rise, to get to the other point, then your rise will
be negative.
 To move to the second point, if you have to move up, then your rise will be positive.
 Also using this method, the run will always be positive.
Rise: 5
Run: 5
 Step 4: Find the slope by writing the rise value over the run value.
rise 5
m   1
 We will use ‘m’ to represent the slope, so in this problem: run 5
 Problem 2: Have students work this problem individually.
7
m
 Ans. 3
 Problem 3: Have students work this problem.
4 2
m 
 Ans. 6 3
o Should you simplify this answer? Yes, in order to make the slope easier to work with.
1
m 
 Problem 4: Work this problem with the class. Ans. 0
o Is it mathematically correct to have a zero as the denominator? No, it is an undefined slope.
o Did we need to go through these four steps in order to determine that the line had an undefined slope ? No.
o What could you have done? Use the VUX part of HOY VUX. Since it is a vertical line, it has an undefined
slope.
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Algebra I - Unit 3: Topic 2 – Slope from a Graph
0
m
 Problem 5: Have students work this problem. Ans. 1
o Is it okay to have a zero as the numerator? Yes, it is a zero slope.
o Did we need to go through these four steps in order to determine that the line had a zero slope ? No.
o What could you have done? Use the HOY part of HOY VUX. Since it is a horizontal line, it has a slope of 0.
 Problem 6: Have students look at the graph.
o What is the title of this graph? Hourly wages
o What do the x-values represent in this situation? The number of years of service.
o What do the y-values represent in this situation? Hourly salary.
o What are the increments on the x-axis? 1
o What are the increments on the y-axis? 1
 Remind students to look carefully at the units of any situational graphs. Not all graphs have a one to one ratio.
 Have students find the slope.
6 3
m 
 Ans. 4 2
o What does the rise represent? Change in salary
o What does the run represent? Change in years of service
o What do you think the slope means in this situation? Possible answer: for every 2 years of service, your
hourly salary increases $3
3
o Can you come up with a unit rate in this situation? Yes, by changing 2 to a fraction with a denominator of 1
o How do we do that? Set up a proportion and then solve.
o What would the meaning be then? An employee gets $1.50 raise every year of service
 Problem 7: Work this problem together with the class.
o Does anyone have an idea of where to start with this problem? Start with the point (-4, 3)
o How can I use the slope and find some more points that lie on the same line? Use the rise and run.
 With a pencil at the point, have students go down 4 units (-4) and then run across to the right 5 units (5).
 9
y

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
Down 4 1
x
-9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
-1
Run across
-2 5
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9

 Have student place a point at this location and then record the ordered pair in the place provided.
 Ans. (1, -1)
o How could we find another point? Begin at our new point and use the slope.
 With a pencil at the point, have students go down 4 units (-4) and then run across to the right 5 units (5).
 Have students place a point at this location and then record the ordered pair in the place provided.
 Ans. (6, -5) {Other possible point: (-9, 7)}

Practice:
 Distribute Practice – Slope from a Graph to each student – Begin as class work, and any uncompleted problems
may be assigned as homework.
 Have students look at problem 6.
4
o How do you use a slope of -4 to graph points? Make it a fraction: 1
Answers:

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Algebra I - Unit 3: Topic 2 – Slope from a Graph
4
1. 5
1
2. 2
3. Vertical line
4. Horizontal line
5. (3, 1), (-3, 9), (6, -3), (9, 7) are possible answers.
6. (2, 2), (3, -2), (4, -6), (0, 10) are possible answers.
50
7. 3 In this situation, he reads 50 pages every three days.
6 1

8. 60 10 In this situation, 10 gallons of sap makes one quart of maple syrup.
9. B
10. E
11. D
12. A

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Algebra I - Unit 3: Topic 2 – Slope from a Graph

Warm-Up – Slope from a Graph

1. Which line(s) have a negative slope?

2. Which line(s) have a positive slope?
3. Which line(s) have an undefined slope?
4. Which line has the steepest slope?
5. Which line has the smallest slope, but not zero?

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