Direct instruction
The aim of this lesson was to get the students confident in identifying the direction of a gradient (positive/negative) and comparing the steepness of gradients.
This video shows an explanation of gradients (using mountains), then students completing quiz on Google Forms, before finishing with the Steepness of a Line, on Student Desmos.
Link to video answering Google Form Quiz
Reflection
Making the link between mountains and gradients seemed to work well and the students caught on quickly to the direction of a gradient. Taking a whole lesson to look at a gradient, without worrying about how to calculate it, was really valuable and I think it will help the students with the concept as they continue learning about linear equations. Some of the students' answers in the Steepness of a Line activity lacked depth and clarity, this is something that I can work on throughout the rest of the topic.
Instructions on Google+
The gradient was introduced through the idea of climbing a mountain, as shown in the slides below:
Students then completed a Google Forms Quiz, shown on the right, which compared the steepness of lines and looked at the direction of different gradients.
Students then logged in to Student Desmos to work throught the Steepness of a Line activity.
All of the resources were accessed through Workspace.
