Be sure to have students record how many numbers they needed to look at before correctly guessing the function structure. Have them try to think of situations in their lives that might be governed by some of the functions they worked with. This lesson can be rearranged in several ways. The team who claims the fewest needed pairs goes first. If a team guesses wrong the other team gets to try, after seeing one more pair.
Teams alternate turns until one guesses correctly.
This game can be played in about 10 minutes per pair of teams, making it time consuming if the entire class is to have a turn. After these discussions and activities, students will have an intuitive understanding of functions and will have seen many examples of linear functions. The next lesson More Complicated Functions will introduce students more general linear functions. The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.