Lesson Plan – Lemonade Stand
Tricia Figueroa, Sheila Robbins, Diane Briggs, Cynthia Walker
Objective and purpose – To use a real world application of a lemonade stand to
reinforce linear functions and rate of change to students through the use of a table.
Students will be able to identify the rate of change and create a linear function for
this lesson and then answer questions based upon the function they have created.
This lesson assumes that students have already learned the definitions of rate of
change, break-even point, and constant. They also will have been taught lessons on
how to find a rate of change and a break-even point, and how to create a linear
function from a table of values.
Materials: Graphing calculator (optional), pencil, paper, worksheet, notes from
previous lessons, vocabulary cards
Instructional Shift: # 9 – Embed the mathematics in realistic problems and realworld contexts. This problem is something that students could actually try to do
and they could be motivated by the idea of earning money for an iPod.
Formative Assessment: A homework quiz will be used where students will be
given a story problem and asked to identify the rate of change, the equation, and the
break-even point. This activity could also be used as a form of formative assessment
after lessons on rate of change and linear functions to ensure that students can
apply what they have learned.
Vocabulary: Students have been previously given vocabulary cards where they
have written the word, its definition, an illustration/example, and non-example for
rate of change, break-even point and constant. They can use these cards as they
work on this activity.