Making Sense of Slope

Abstract

First-Year Algebra Has Shifted From A Course That Focused Primarily On Formal Procedures For Simplifying Symbolic Expressions And Solving Equations To A Course That Emphasizes Applications In Which Students Encounter A Wide Variety Of Situations Structured By Patterns. By Observing Tables And Graphs, They Learn To Describe And Extend Patterns, Create Equations With Variables To Represent Patterns, And Make Predictions On The Basis Of These Patterns. The Study Of Variability And Change Is An Essential Algebraic Concept That Helps Students Make Sense Of Our World Through Mathematics. Hence, Understanding Slope As A Rate Of Change For Variability Has Become An Important Concept For All Students.