Lesson Plan: Types of Slope
Lesson Objectives
- Identify and distinguish between positive, negative, zero, and undefined slopes
- Interpret the meaning of different slope types in real-world contexts
- Recognize slope types from graphs and equations
Florida BEST Standards
- MA.8.AR.2.1: Given a table, graph or written description of a linear relationship, determine the slope.
- MA.912.AR.2.4: Given a table, graph or written description of a linear function, determine the slope and interpret it as a rate of change in real-world situations.
Prerequisite Skills
- Familiarity with the coordinate plane and plotting points
- Understanding of the concept of slope as the ratio of the vertical change (rise) to the horizontal change (run) between two points
- Experience with using interactive graphing tools or online resources (a Desmos activity is provided in this lesson)
Engage (5 minutes)
- Use these math clip art pieces to show different types of slopes: https://www.media4math.com/library/75389/asset-preview
- Ask students to observe the directions of the lines and describe what they notice about the slopes.
- Encourage students to share their observations and discuss the differences in line directions.
Explore (15 minutes)
- Play the following video, which describes the different types of slopes: https://www.media4math.com/library/75390/asset-preview
- Review the following vocabulary terms:
- Positive Slope: https://www.media4math.com/library/42968/asset-preview
- Negative Slope: https://www.media4math.com/library/42969/asset-preview
- Zero Slope: https://www.media4math.com/library/42970/asset-preview
- Undefined Slope: https://www.media4math.com/library/42970/asset-preview
- Have students use this Desmos activity: https://www.media4math.com/library/75388/asset-preview. Students can change the slope of the line in two ways:
- Clicking and dragging on one of the points
- Changing the values for a, b, c, and d to modify the coordinates.
- Have students use the Desmos activity to show examples of these types of slopes:
- Positive Slope
- Negative Slope
- Zero Slope
- Undefined Slope
Evaluate (10 minutes)
- Facilitate a class discussion by asking students to share their observations and findings from the previous activity.
- Address any misconceptions or clarify any confusions that may arise.
- Provide individual practice problems or a short quiz to reinforce the concepts of positive, negative, zero, and undefined slopes.
Quiz
- What type of slope does a line have if it is slanting upwards from left to right?
A. Positive slope
B. Negative slope
C. Zero slope
D. Undefined slope
- If a line is horizontal, what is its slope?
A. Positive slope
B. Negative slope
C. Zero slope
D. Undefined slope
- A vertical line has what type of slope?
A. Positive slope
B. Negative slope
C. Zero slope
D. Undefined slope
- Which type of slope would a line have if it is slanting downwards from left to right?
A. Positive slope
B. Negative slope
C. Zero slope
D. Undefined slope
- If the slope of a line is 0, what can you say about its direction?
A. It is slanting upwards
B. It is slanting downwards
C. It is a horizontal line
D. It is a vertical line
Answers Key
1. A
2. C
3. D
4. B
5. C
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